Understanding APIs

How different software applications talk to each other.

The "Waiter" Analogy

The best way to understand an API (Application Programming Interface) is to imagine a restaurant.

You (The Client): You are sitting at the table. You want food, but you can't just walk into the kitchen and start cooking.
The Kitchen (The Server): This is where the food (data) is prepared and stored. It's complex and messy.
The Waiter (The API): The waiter is the messenger. They take your order (request), tell the kitchen what to do, and bring the food back to you (response).

You don't need to know how the stove works; you just need to know how to order from the menu.

Interactive: The API Restaurant

Click an item on the menu to send a request via the "Waiter API" to the Kitchen Server.

Talking in JSON

When the waiter brings the food back, it's not just thrown on a plate. It's arranged carefully. In the digital world, data is arranged in a format called JSON (JavaScript Object Notation).

It looks like a list of Key/Value pairs.

Key: The label (e.g., "name")
Value: The content (e.g., "Pikachu")

JSON Constructor

Toggle the switches to see how data is structured when an API sends it across the internet.

HTTP Methods (CRUD)

APIs don't just fetch data. They can also create, update, and delete it. These are called Methods.

GET: Read data (like reading a menu).
POST: Create new data (like placing a new order).
DELETE: Remove data (like canceling an order).

API Request Simulator

Act as a developer. Use the buttons on the left to control the database on the right using different API methods.