Application Programming Interface…Messenger or an IT terminology?

Being from a non-IT background, I always try to make IT terms simpler and more comprehensible. So, beginning with the question what is an API? How the internet works behind the scenes.

We use our laptops and mobile to communicate with our friends, family, and colleagues. But has anyone ever thought, how do internet or an app communicate with each other? Here comes the API, Application Programming interface. APIs are the hidden backbone of our software world which allow software programs to interact with one another.

To be more precise, an API is a messenger that takes requests, transmits or translates, and returns responses. We can see this through a simple example, when we order food at a restaurant, the server notes the order, communicates it to the kitchen, and returns with the ordered food. In this whole situation, the server acts as the API, or the messenger. Therefore, APIs are incredibly important and APIs will play powering role on the apps and websites we use every day.