What is API reference?

An application programming interface (API) is a set of routines, data structures, object classes and/or protocols provided by libraries and/or operating system services in order to support the building of applications.^[1] An API may be:

• Language-dependent, that is, only available in a particular programming language, utilizing the particular syntax and elements of the programming language to make the API convenient to use in this particular context.

• Language-independent, that is, written in a way that means they can be called from several programming languages (typically an asm/c-level interface). This is a desired feature for a service-style API which is not bound to a particular process or system and is available as a remote procedure call.

The API itself is largely abstract in that it specifies an interface and the behavior of the objects specified in that interface; the software that provides the functionality described by an API is said to be an implementation of the API. An API is typically defined in terms of the programming language used to build an application. The related term ABI is a lower level definition concerning details at the asm-level. For example, the Linux Standard Base is an ABI (Application Binary Interface), while POSIX is an API.^[2]

The API acronym may sometimes be used as a reference not only to the full interface but also to a single function or even a set of multiple APIs provided by an organization. Thus the scope is usually determined by the person or document that communicates the information.

Regards

Yashi

An application programming interface (API) is a set of routines, data structures, object classes and/or protocols provided by libraries and/or operating system services in order to support the building of applications.^[1] An API may be:

• Language-dependent, that is, only available in a particular programming language, utilizing the particular syntax and elements of the programming language to make the API convenient to use in this particular context.

• Language-independent, that is, written in a way that means they can be called from several programming languages (typically an asm/c-level interface). This is a desired feature for a service-style API which is not bound to a particular process or system and is available as a remote procedure call.

The API itself is largely abstract in that it specifies an interface and the behavior of the objects specified in that interface; the software that provides the functionality described by an API is said to be an implementation of the API. An API is typically defined in terms of the programming language used to build an application. The related term ABI is a lower level definition concerning details at the asm-level. For example, the Linux Standard Base is an ABI (Application Binary Interface), while POSIX is an API.^[2]

The API acronym may sometimes be used as a reference not only to the full interface but also to a single function or even a set of multiple APIs provided by an organization. Thus the scope is usually determined by the person or document that communicates the information.

Regards

Yashi