API Access Protocols and API Types

Types of API protocols and architectures

The Google Maps API is probably the one that is most often used by people without them realizing it because it is used via an interface, such as Uber or Lyft. APIs allow products to use capabilities from another product or company in a seamless way. This dramatically reduces the complexity of building software, as these capabilities are often so extensive that it is not possible to develop them from scratch.

There are three major types of API protocols and architectures:

1. Representational State Transfer (REST): The most popular approach to building APIs is the REST architecture. REST is based on a client/server model and separates the frontend and backend of the API. This model allows for a great deal of flexibility in development and implementation. REST is stateless, which means that the API does not store any data or statuses between requests. For slow or non-time-sensitive APIs, REST supports caching, which stores responses. REST APIs, also known as RESTful APIs, can communicate directly or via intermediary systems, such as API gateways and load balancers.

2. Remote Procedural Call (RPC): The RPC ...