API's

[TP-Oreilly]

Hi, I understand that an application programming interface (API) is a particular set of rules and specifications that software programs can follow to communicate with each other.

My question is:

Do we use the windows api basically so that we can use its "vocabularies" (so we can calls its functions and use its classes with it understanding what we are refering to)?

So it enables me to uses windows stuff basically?

[TP-Oreilly]

?

[7D8]

Originally Posted by TP-Oreilly

Hi, I understand that an application programming interface (API) is a particular set of rules and specifications that software programs can follow to communicate with each other.

My question is:

Do we use the windows api basically so that we can use its "vocabularies" (so we can calls its functions and use its classes with it understanding what we are refering to)?

So it enables me to uses windows stuff basically?

This question is VERY ambiguous and I don't know about these "vocabularies". Although, I'm pretty sure the answer is YES!

[TP-Oreilly]

Haha, thanks. i was just trying to have a clear understand of what an api is. T

hanks

Actually, just to be sure let me ask it in a different question

So an api is just a library?

[TP-Oreilly]

?

[7D8]

API is sort of a, not really, kind of like a library but it isn't all (lol).

Let's say that I create a program that allows you to upload pictures. I call this program PictureUploader.

Now, since everyone is using PictureUploader, I want to make is so that other programmers and can build software that can connect to PictureUploader and upload, download and manage photos through their own applications. In other words, I want them to use my service, but use their own applications. So parts of my application are able to be extended via an API. I determine what is in this API, what methods can be called and what properties can be read or set.

So I may create an interface like GetAllPhotos() which will return ALL of the links to the photos. Now when you are building your software and you want to use my API, one of the methods you can use to retrieve photos is GetAllPhotos().

Twitter does this so that you can access Tweets from Twitter.

A library is something like jQuery, which is a library for JavaScript.

[TP-Oreilly]

Thanks very much for your reply, it is helpful

Am I good in thinking that an API is a library which includes subroutines, classes, values or type specifications.

[7D8]

Originally Posted by TP-Oreilly

Thanks very much for your reply, it is helpful

Am I good in thinking that an API is a library which includes subroutines, classes, values or type specifications.

yes, but it all depends on the API. The Twitter API does not provide classes or type specifications. However, a DLL from CodePlex for example may as you use it to extend your program.

[TP-Oreilly]

Thanks