Web API: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|HTTP-based application programming interface on the web}}

[[File:Screenshot of NASA API documentation.png|thumb|Screenshot of web API documentation written by [[NASA]]]]

A '''web API''' is an [[API|application programming interface]] (API) for either a [[web server]] or a [[web browser]].

As a [[web development]] concept, it can be related to a [[web application]]'s [[client side]] (including any [[web framework]]s being used).

A [[server-side]] web API consists of one or more publicly exposed '''endpoints''' to a defined [[request–response]] message system, typically expressed in [[JSON]] or [[XML]] by means of an [[HTTP]]-based [[web server]].

A [[server application programming interface|server API]] (SAPI) is not considered a server-side web API, unless it is publicly accessible by a remote web application.

==Client side==

A [[client-side]] web API is a programmatic interface to extend functionality within a [[web browser]] or other HTTP client. Originally these were most commonly in the form of native [[plug-in (computing)|plug-in]] [[browser extension]]s however most newer ones target standardized [[JavaScript]] bindings.

The [[Mozilla Foundation]] created their WebAPI specification which is designed to help replace native mobile applications with [[HTML5]] applications.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-12-05|title=Mozilla's WebAPI Wants to Replace Native Apps With HTML5 {{!}} Webmonkey {{!}} Wired.com|url=http://www.webmonkey.com/2011/08/mozillas-webapi-wants-to-replace-native-apps-with-html5/|access-date=2022-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205024538/http://www.webmonkey.com/2011/08/mozillas-webapi-wants-to-replace-native-apps-with-html5/ |archive-date=2013-12-05 }}</ref><ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/WebLearn_web_development/APIExtensions/Client-side_APIs Mozilla WebAPI Wiki]</ref>

[[Google]] created their [[Google Native Client|Native Client]] architecture which is designed to help replace insecure native plug-ins with secure native [[sandbox (computer security)|sandbox]]ed extensions and applications. They have also made this portable by employing a modified [[LLVM]] [[ahead-of-time compilation|AOT compiler]].

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==See also==

*[[API]]

*[[Dynamic web page]]

*[[Overview of RESTful API Description Languages]]