An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a software component that mediates between two pieces of software. For two distinct software applications to communicate with one another, the data they send needs to be restructured in a way that the other application can understand. APIs lay out the necessary rules and protocols for this communication to happen.
APIs have become an increasingly important part of the modern computing ecosystem as software applications have become more specialized and complex. They’re now essential for ensuring separate pieces of software can communicate and work together. This is especially true in the SaaS field, where each piece of business software tends to occupy its own specific niche.
There are a few distinct types of API. Each has different benefits and strong points for connecting different pieces of software. You can find out more about Talon.One's APIs in this blog post.
Firstly, you can separate APIs by their purpose, or the relationship between the two pieces of software they connect:
You can also categorize APIs by their underlying architecture. There are a few popular API architectures currently used by modern web applications. Two of the most common are:
Many companies take an API-first approach to software development. This means that they prioritize the development of their software and APIs to work across as many key endpoints as possible. This improves the software for the end user, makes it more adaptable, and allows for better integration with other products.
Talon.One has been developed following the API-first approach from the very beginning. Talon.One has two APIs - the Integration API and the Management API. The Management API controls data transfer between the Campaign Manager and the Rule Builder. Meanwhile, the Integration API controls data between Talon.One and external applications/software. You can read more about the Management API and the Integration API in our Developer Docs.
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