What Is an API (Application Programming Interface)?

Applications and systems can communicate with each other just like people. This form of communication is different from communication between people. It is still used to transfer information, i.e., data, similarly. One of the structures that enable this transfer between applications is the API.

In this article, we will focus on a technology that makes many of the applications we use in our daily lives possible. What is an application programming interface, API for short, how do APIs work, and which API services Cameralyze offers? You are all answered in this article.

How Do APIs Work

In short, an API is a piece of software that makes it possible for applications that are normally independent to communicate with each other, that is, to transfer data and collaborate. API technology emerged in the 1970s and became widespread in the 1990s. Today, it is a highly developed system and is indispensable for many applications we use in daily life. API is included in our digital lives in many areas, from hotel booking to buying a plane ticket or chatting over the internet.

Thanks to the API, an application takes the information, i.e., data, that is unavailable within its own structure from another application and presents it to the user. This provides convenience for developers, and users can quickly access the information they need.

APIs work in a "client" and "server" relationship. The application that sends the request is the client, and the application that fulfills the request is the server.

For example, let's say you are going to book a hotel, and you decide to make your reservation not on the hotel's own website but on an intermediary hotel booking website. Thanks to the API, the agent site quickly delivers the information, i.e., data, on the hotel's own siteI. This way, the solution is achieved without needing to process the same data to the agent site.

Imagine the website and mobile app of a shopping website. When you use the mobile app, you see the same information on the website. Instead of processing this information, i.e., data, into the mobile app from scratch, the information is taken from the website via API and shared with you in the app. In short, the API enables the communication between applications and data.

The API also provides data security. Thanks to the API, devices or applications do not access data directly but rather access the necessary data passed through the API.

In business, fast development of applications and fast response for the user are of utmost importance. For this reason, cloud-native applications supported by different services are used, and cloud-native applications are also built through APIs.

There are several different types of APIs, and they are used in different ways. Let's take a look at the API types:

• Partner API

Partner API is a type of API that two or more partners use exclusively to transmit data, and this type is only used between the parties themselves.

• Internal API

It is also known as a private API. APIs that are used by a private group, such as a company. Access cannot be provided outside the authorized group.

• Open API

It is also known as the public API. It is a public interface. It is easily accessible to users and developers.

• Composite API

It is the name given to APIs created by connecting multiple interfaces together.

Apart from the different API types, it is possible to divide APIs into four types according to how they are created. These are divided according to the technology used when creating the API. For example:

• SOAP APIs
• RPC APIs
• Web Socket APIs
• REST APIs

Let us make two brief and important points about these structures. Of these four different forms, SOAP APIs have become unpopular because they are outdated and do not provide much flexibility. REST APIs are the most popular API structure today, providing the most flexible solutions.

Now that we have some general information about the structure of APIs, let's look at how APIs can be created. We can briefly summarize this in 4 steps and take a look at API examples and Cameralyze API services offered by Cameralyze.

1. Plan the structure and specifications of your API.
2. Design the first prototype of your API using code.
3. Test your API using API testing tools.
4. Organize the documentation on how you can use your API and create a user guide.
   

What Is an Example of an API

We have talked enough about the technical features of APIs. We can take a look at examples of API architecture that we encounter in everyday life. 

Among the applications that use API architecture, there is the Cameralyze API service, which allows you to create your personal API without code. Before we look at Cameralyze's API services in more detail, let's continue with a short and simple API example.

Isn't getting the weather forecast from your smart assistants at home or Apple's weather service something you do almost every day? Maybe you wake up every morning and Google the weather in your city that day. These are all examples of API architecture in everyday life.

The weather information you receive from all these different systems comes from the source of information through the API architecture. The meteorology website shares weather information. This data is shown to you through the API on the platform you use to get the information.

Or, let's say you are about to log in to a website. We all know and have used the options to log in with your Google, Facebook, or another account. These third-party permissions and the sharing of your login data with other applications are also done via API.

APIs of Cameralyze

With Cameralyze API, you can create your own custom API in a very simple way, without the need for technical knowledge, and send the data generated by the service you use to your own custom API with Cameralyze API. 

Cameralyze offers multiple API services for multiple solutions. In this part of our article, let's take a look at the API services offered by Cameralyze.

Cameralyze Face Detection API Service

If you are using Cameralyze's face detection solution product, the Cameralyze face detection service API will redirect the results to the API point where your data will be shared.

Cameralyze Barcode Reader API Service

Cameralyze's barcode reading service reads the barcode and the Cameralyze barcode reading API service sends the results to your API.

Cameralyze Emotion Detection API Service

Cameralyze emotion detection services detect human emotions in images. The Cameralyze emotion detection API sends the results to your API server.

Cameralyze Face Recognition API Service

Cameralyze face recognition solution performs face recognition and identification on images. The Cameralyze facial recognition API service then delivers the data to your API point.

Cameralyze Age&Gender Detection API Service

Cameralyze makes age and gender detection; after the service, all data is then sent to your API point.

Cameralyze Content Moderation API Service

Cameralyze's content moderation service controls unwanted content. The content moderation API service transfers all the data obtained to your custom API.

Cameralyze Human Detection API Service

Cameralyze's human detection services identify people in images. Cameralyze human detection API services send the results to your API server.

Cameralyze General Object Detection API Service

Cameralyze object detection solutions locate objects in images and videos on demand. The results of the detection are routed to your custom API point.

Cameralyze People Counting API Service

Cameralyze uses computer vision to detect the number of people in images and videos. Information about these numbers is delivered to your custom API server.

With Cameralyze, you can skip many technical steps and benefit from AI solutions without needing deep technical knowledge. Very important API architectures are also part of these solutions. Keep your data safe while getting fast results with Cameralyze API solutions. Get started today for free!

‍