Introduction to the Course

The need for GIFs

It doesn't matter how we pronounce it; likely all of us have seen or used GIFs in our day-to-day lives. The use of GIFs as a form of expression across various social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter has increased immensely. Before we move on to see why this is happening, let's take a look at what a GIF actually is.

A GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a popular bitmap image format introduced by CompuServeAn online services provider. in 1987. GIFs are used as a form of social expression, similar to emojis, and are designed to express what someone is feeling at that moment. Most GIFs can be either soundless, animated images or looped video clips of a character or scenes from a movie or TV show.

Previously, people used emojis or Internet slang to express their emotions on online platforms, but now many prefer to use GIFs. One reason is that GIFs are more expressive and dynamic than emojis, because they quickly express what another person wants to communicate. For example, instead of using the slang "OMG" for "Oh My God," a user can attach a GIF of someone expressing disbelief, frustration, excitement, or anger. The use of GIFs as a way to express emotions can make online conversations funnier and more exciting.

What is an API?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software interface that allows two or more applications to communicate with each other. For example, when we start an application that connects to the Internet, it sends data to the server. The server retrieves and interprets the data we sent, performs the instructions we issued, and returns the data to us. The application will then interpret this data and give us information that’s easy to understand. All of this happens through an API.

Prerequisites

This course requires a basic understanding of APIs and fundamental knowledge of JavaScript (for API calls) and React (for the application).