Understanding APIs: Core Knowledge Every Developer Should Have

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the backbone of modern software. They enable different applications and services to communicate with each other, exchange data, and perform actions across systems. Whether you are working in frontend, backend, or product development, understanding how APIs work is essential. Below are the key concepts every developer should understand when learning APIs. 1. REST Most modern APIs follow the REST (Representational State Transfer) architecture. REST defines how resources are structured and accessed over the web. In a REST API, resources such as users, payments, or products are accessed through endpoints. Example: GET /users GET /orders/123 REST helps maintain consistency and makes APIs easier to understand and use. 2. HTTP Methods HTTP methods define the type of action you want to perform on a resource. The most common methods include: GET - Retrieve data from the server POST - Create a new resource PUT or PATCH - Update an existing resource D