Understanding APIs
Previously in this book, we noted that there are some key protocols and specifications for APIs that define how systems can interact with one another, as well as in what format or structure the requests between them need to be configured.
In this section, we'll expand on those protocols and add some alternatives to those two approaches that have been common in the past or are currently growing in popularity. We'll also dig into SDKs to understand what they are, how they differ from APIs, and what sort of advantages and disadvantages may come from using them in your project. To begin, let's take a look at the different types of APIs to gain a more general understanding of how they operate.
Open APIs... what does that mean?
Very similar to its name, open APIs are generally available to all. They are also known by names such as external or public, which means they have much more relaxed security measures. This allows developers and external...