Application program interface

Application program interface ( Application Programming Interfaces or API ) makes it possible to define the way in which a data-processing component can communicate with another. It is thus a Interface of source code provided by a computing system or a software Bibliothèque, in order to answer requests for services which a computer program could make him. The knowledge of API is essential to the Interopérabilité between the software components.

Description

In the typical case of a library, it is generally about functions considered as useful for other components.

A Interface as such is something of abstract; components carrying out this one being implemented. Ideally there can be several implementations for the same interface. For example, under UNIX, the libc defines basic functions used by practically all the programs and is provided by or implementations free owners, under different operating systems.

An interface commonly used can sometimes become a Norme. The libc is for example a standard POSIX.

Examples of API

Types of API according to the languages and systems

There exist the API ones for:

  • XML : SAX (Simple API for XML) and DOM (Document Object Model)
  • Java: Java RMI, Java IDL, Java API Media,…
  • Oracle
  • SAS

Functions of the application program interfaces in Java

The application program interfaces can have several functions. For example, in J2EE, one finds the functions following:

    API
  • of synchronous/asynchronous communication
    • API
  • of connections (Directory S, Databases, integrated Business packages)
    • API
  • of management of the transactions
    • API
  • of management of the emails
    • API
  • of serialization by XML
    • API
  • of analysis XML
    • API
  • of management of the registers XML (for example EbXML)

Conveyed data

The application program interfaces can convey Métadonnée S.

  • In the interfaces envisaged by the Business packages integrated

Examples: Oracle 9i API Metadata and Relational API metadata of SAP

  • In the Computer programming languages

Example of the Language Java: API of accesses and data processing recorded in a data source

  • In the decisional Systems

Example: Metadata in the API ones of SAS

  • In the relational Databases

Example: DB2 Cubes

  • In the applications of Engineering of knowledge

Example: Loading metadata to Livelink using Bulk Loader API' S

etc

See too

External bonds

  • API

    on 01net

  • API on Dictionary of the Net
  • Site of project SAX, simple API for XML
  • gotapi - dynamic Research among different API

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