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{{Short description|Type of application programming interface}}
{{About|a type of application programming interface|the web service specification|OpenAPI Specification}}

{{Other uses|OpenAPI (disambiguation){{!}}OpenAPI}}

An '''open API''' (often referred to as a public API) is a publicly available [[application programming interface]] that provides developers with programmatic access to a (possibly proprietary) [[Application software|software application]] or [[web service]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = What is open API? - Definition from WhatIs.com|url = http://searchcloudapplications.techtarget.com/definition/open-API|website = SearchCloudApplications|access-date = 2015-10-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://readwrite.com/2013/09/19/api-defined|title = What APIs Are And Why They're Important|date = September 19, 2013|access-date = 28 October 2015|website = Readwrite|last = Proffitt|first = Brian}}</ref> Open APIs are sets of requirementsAPIs that governare how one application can communicate and interact with another. APIs can also allow developers to access certain internal functions of a program, although this is notpublished typicallyon the case for [[web APIinternet]]s. Inand theare simplest terms, an API allows one piece of softwarefree to interact with another piece of software, whether within a single computer via a mechanism providedaccess by the [[operating system]] or over an internal or external [[TCP/IP]]-based or non-TCP/IP-based networkconsumers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=What =is open API? Strategy- 201:Definition Privatefrom APIs vsWhatIs.com Open APIs {{!}} API Design and Strategy|url = http://wwwsearchcloudapplications.apiacademytechtarget.cocom/resourcesdefinition/apiopen-strategyAPI |access-lessondate=2015-20110-private-apis-vs-open-apis/26 |website =SearchCloudApplications www.apiacademy.co|accessarchive-date = 20152017-1104-0230 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/2015112519450420170430125419/http://wwwsearchcloudapplications.apiacademytechtarget.cocom/resourcesdefinition/api-strategy-lesson-201-private-apis-vs-open-apis/|archive-dateAPI = 2015-11-25|url-status =dead dead}}</ref> Currently, many APIs are provided by organizations for access with [[HTTP]]. APIs may be used by both developers inside the organisation that published the API or by any developers outside that organisation who wish to register for access to the interface.

== CharacteristicsAlternative Definitions ==

There is no universally accepted definition of the term "Open API" and it may be used to mean a variety of things in different contexts, including:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodds |first=Leigh |title=What is an Open API? |url=http://blog.ldodds.com/2014/03/25/what-is-an-open-api/ |access-date=2015-11-02 |website=Lost Boy|date=25 March 2014 }}</ref>

Open APIs have three main characteristics:

# TheyAn are availableAPI for use by developers and other users with relatively few restrictions. RestrictionsIt mightmay includerequire theregistration necessityor toenforce registerquotas withand the service providing the API.<ref>{{Cite[[Rate weblimiting|titlerate-limits]], =but Whatregistration is anfree Openand API?|url = http://blog.ldodds.com/2014/03/25/what-is-an-open-api/|website = Lost Boy|access-date = 2015-11-02|first = Leigh|lastto =all; Dodds}}</ref>or

# TheyAn are typicallyAPI backed by [[open data]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = What is Open Data?|url = http://opendatahandbook.org/guide/en/what-is-open-data/|website = opendatahandbook.org|access-date = 2015-11-02}}</ref> Open data is freely available for everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control.; An Open API may be free to use but the publisher may limit how the API data can be used.or

# TheyAn areAPI based on an [[open standard]], which specifies the mechanism by which a consumer queries the API and interprets its responses.

== Open API versus private API ==

=== Private API ===

A private API is an interface that opens parts of an organization's backend data and application functionality for use by developers working within (or contractors working for) that organization.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 6 Business Benefits of Private APIs {{!}} Nordic APIs {{!}}|url = http://nordicapis.com/business-benefits-of-private-apis/|website = Nordic APIs|access-date = 2015-11-04}}</ref> Private APIs are only exposed to internal developers therefore the API publishers have total control over what and how applications are developed. Private APIs offer substantial benefits with regards to internal collaboration. Using a private API across an organization allows for greater shared awareness of the internal data models. As the developers are working for (or contracted by) one organization, communication will be more direct and therefore they should be able to work more cohesively as a group. Private APIs can significantly diminish the development time needed to manipulate and build internal systems that maximise productivity and create customer-facing applications that improve market reach and add value to existing offerings.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 6 Business Benefits of Private APIs {{!}} Nordic APIs {{!}}|url = http://nordicapis.com/business-benefits-of-private-apis/|website = Nordic APIs| date=13 February 2014 |access-date = 2015-11-04}}</ref>

Private APIs can be made "private" in a number of ways. Most commonly the organization simply chooses not to document such an interface, such as in the case of undocumented functions of Microsoft Windows, which can be found by inspection of the symbol tables.<ref>{{cite web |title=NTAPI Undocumented Functions |url=http://undocumented.ntinternals.net/ |website=undocumented.ntinternals.net}}</ref> Some Web-based APIs may be authenticated by keys, both discoverable by analysis of application traffic.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Tutorial for Reverse Engineering Your Software's Private API: Hacking Your Couch {{!}} Toptal® |url=https://www.toptal.com/back-end/reverse-engineering-the-private-api-hacking-your-couch |website=Toptal Engineering Blog |language=en}}</ref> macOS furthermore uses an "entitlement", granted only by digital signature, to control access to private APIs in the system.<ref>{{cite web |last= Mo |first= Darren |title= A helper tool that enables Optimus Player to stream audio using AirPlay 2 |website= [[GitHub]] |date= 2019-05-07 |url= https://github.com/Optimus-Player/AirPlay-Enabler |access-date= 2019-05-09 }}</ref>

Private APIs are by definition without any guarantee to the third-party developer choosing to uncover and use them. Nevertheless, the use of undocumented functions on Microsoft Windows have become so widespread that the system needs to preserve old behaviors for specific programs using the "AppCompat" database.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pierce |first1=Sean |title=Malicious Application Compatibility Shims |url=https://www.blackhat.com/docs/eu-15/materials/eu-15-Pierce-Defending-Against-Malicious-Application-Compatibility-Shims-wp.pdf}}</ref>

=== Open API ===

In contrast to a private API, an open API is publicly available for all developers to access. They allow developers, outside of an organization's workforce, to access backend data that can then be used to enhance their own applications. Open APIs can significantly increase revenue without the business having to invest in hiring new developers making them a very profitable software application.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Beat the risks of managing public, private APIs|url = http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/feature/Beat-the-risks-of-managing-public-private-APIs|website = SearchSOA|access-date = 2015-11-04|archive-date = 2015-11-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151125181803/http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/feature/Beat-the-risks-of-managing-public-private-APIs|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal However,|last1=Tündik it|first1=Máté isÁkos important|last2=Szabó to|first2=Zsolt remember|last3=Hilt that|first3=Attila |last4=Járó |first4=Gábor |date=2024-11-12 |title=Fusion of Telecommunications and IT Services Boosted by Application Programming Interfaces |journal=Signals |language=en |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=756–773 |doi=10.3390/signals5040042 |doi-access=free |issn=2624-6120}}</ref> However, opening back end information to the public can create a range of security and management challenges.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = iRiS: Vetting Private API Abuse in iOS Applicationsbook|publisher = ACM|journal = Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security|date = 2015-01-01|___location = New York, NY, USA|isbn = 978-1-4503-3832-5|pages = 44–56|series = CCS '15|doi = 10.1145/2810103.2813675|firstfirst1 = Zhui|lastlast1 = Deng|first2 = Brendan|last2 = Saltaformaggio|first3 = Xiangyu|last3 = Zhang|first4 = Dongyan|last4 = Xu| title=Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security | chapter=IRiS | s2cid=5613038 }}</ref> For example, publishing open APIs can make it harder for organisations to control the experience end users have with their information assets. Open API publishers cannot assume client apps built on their APIs will offer a good user experience. Furthermore, they cannot fully ensure that client apps maintain the look and feel of their corporate branding.

== Open APIs in business ==

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[[File:Open-APIs-v5.png|thumb|Open API business chart]]

For example,<ref>{{Cite web|title = What Are APIs, And How Are Open APIs Changing The Internet|url = http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/api-good-technology-explained/|website = MakeUseOf| date=19 February 2015 |access-date = 2015-11-02}}</ref> Yahoo's open search API allows developers to integrate [[Yahoo!|Yahoo]] search into their own software applications. The addition of this API provides search functionality to the developer's application whilst also increasing search traffic for Yahoo's search engine hence benefitting both parties. With respect to [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]], we can see how third parties have enriched these services with their own code. For example, the ability to create an account on an external site/app using your Facebook credentials is made possible using Facebook's open API.

Many large technology firms, such as Twitter, [[LinkedIn]] and Facebook, allow the use of their service by third parties and [[Competition|competitors]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook Developer Docs|url=https://developers.facebook.com/docs/|access-date=2021-02-09|website=Facebook for Developers|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=tonyxu-io|title=LinkedIn API documentation - LinkedIn|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/linkedin/|access-date=2021-02-09|website=docs.microsoft.com|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=About Twitter’sTwitter's APIs|url=https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-api|access-date=2021-02-09|website=help.twitter.com|language=en}}</ref>

== Open APIs on the Web ==

With the rise in prominence of [[HTML5]] and Web 2.0, the modern browsing experience has become interactive and dynamic and this has, in part, been accelerated through the use of open APIs. Some open APIs fetch data from the database behind a website and these are called Web APIs. For example, Google's YouTube API allows developers to integrate YouTube into their applications by providing the capability to search for videos, retrieve standard feeds, and see related content.

Web APIs are used for exchanging information with a website either by receiving or by sending data. When a web API fetches data from a website, the application makes a carefully constructed HTTP request to the server the site is stored on. The server then sends data back in a format your application expects (if you requested data) or incorporates your changes to the website (if you sent data).

== See also ==

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== References ==

{{Reflist}}{{Web interfaces}}

{{Web interfaces}}

[[Category:Application programming interfaces]]