What's an API?

[Melvinizer]

Hey hello everybody! Now I do know what it stands for. It's. "Application Programming Interface" And I'm aware of what that is in a stand alone term but what does that gotta do with developing apps? How does more number of API's reduce system limitation issues? And actually what does that gotta do with development? Please somebody brief me.

 

[David P2]

Basically it gives you access to certain things in the OS, such as the filing system (if you want your app to save stuff for example), or show the user's location, it would need access to the location API.

 

[Melvinizer]

Then, why isn't Microsoft making more API's?? Won't that help in increasing the quality if apps in the store drastically??

 

[David P2]

There are loads - you can get the SDK for free and the documentation should list a good bunch - apps can even interface with Cortana if one so wishes.

 

[Melvinizer]

And yea, there are few bunch of people asking for WiFi direct in wp so wont that get solve when Microsoft gives out the related API's and the same goes for Call recordings??

 

[rluka]

^ There's priority

And deciding that priority is, unfortunately, where the platform development's fate rest in the hand of the managers in Microsoft

 

[Maitrikkataria]

Hey hello everybody! Now I do know what it stands for. It's. "Application Programming Interface" And I'm aware of what that is in a stand alone term but what does that gotta do with developing apps? How does more number of API's reduce system limitation issues? And actually what does that gotta do with development? Please somebody brief me.

Hi,
It is not necessary that API's always reduce system limitation issues. API's provide a methodology to access the different features/sensors/ data bases for mobile applications. They essentially helps in building mobile apps without the need of specialized resources, or integrating with existing systems. Suppose if you want to access Google Maps in your mobile application, what this API will do is to allow your information to come in, it will check whether you have a valid key, and if you have a valid key it will allow you to access Google Maps. This Google Maps API is a part of a library, and this will allow you to read that library data, download and even edit that data. It allows you to access you the Google data in a control manner,and it is key specific. You can only access the data related to a particular key. So, Inshort it provides you access to a particular service using a set of codes/instructions

API helps mobile applications interact with third party programs. Suppose if you want to integrate something e.g. let's say LEAP Motion
Leap Motion

Then either you need to code all by yourself like you code a Single Board Computer, or you can access the permitted native features directly via an existing API: https://developer.leapmotion.com/documentation/python/api/Leap_Classes.html
To create an API you just need to write a simple web service that communicates with this API, this simplifies your work as you just need to develop a method to communicate with this API and not write that entire code that is going to access that entire feature.