SUNY College at Old Westbury Different Programming Languages Discussion

PEER POST # 1

This was an interesting read this week. API and Web service serve as a means of communication. The only difference is that a Web service facilitates interaction between two machines over a network. An API acts as an interface between two different applications so that they can communicate with each other. An API is a method by which third-party vendors can write programs that interface easily with other programs (RapidAPI, 2020). A Web service is designed to have an interface that is depicted in a machine-processable format usually specified in Web Service Description Language (WSDL). Typically, “HTTP” is the most used protocol for communication. Web service also uses SOAP, REST, and XML-RPC as a means of communication. API may use any means of communication to initiate interaction between applications. An API defines the methods for a software program to interact with the other. When this action involves sending data over a network, Web services come into the picture. An API generally involves calling functions from within a software program. A Web service is merely an API wrapped in HTTP. An API does not always need to be web-based. An API consists of a complete set of rules and specifications for a software program to follow to facilitate interaction. A Web service might not contain a complete set of specifications and sometimes might not be able to perform all the tasks that may be possible from a complete API.

PEER POST # 2

API and Web services are integral to communications within a client/server environment. An API can allow a client access to functionality within a service without opening the code-base to the public, which would cause operational and security hazards. API’s are not limited to web facing services, API’s are available to on-premises systems that are not internet connected and do not always traverse in HTTP or HTTPS connections, for example, API’s can use call to transfer data between databases. These connections would not typically happen through an http or https connection. Web services are very specifically for client/server communication over the web, these are typically known as “Web Service API’s”. Web service API’s use SOAP XML or JSON for communications and use API rules.

To someone in the IT field, I would explain this as: API’s offer a set of rules to communicate between applications (much like communicating to another person with verbal speech and body language rules), Web services are a specific way of communicating using web-based API’s (much like speaking to another person in English using communications norms).