How many times you ask successful people what is the secret of their business, you will hear so many different answers. Only one thing is constant - the business must generate income. And how to get income from the sale of products or services, if your site is constantly changing or consists of black letters on a white background without all kinds of features such as maps, social media, etc.? In the era of technology, this is a futile matter.
Reliable software plays a critical role in the success of any company. But to develop absolutely everything from scratch - the process is too complicated and unnecessary if there are alternatives. To simplify the process of developing new products, it is enough to simply enable programs to "exchange" data and properties, that is, to use the Application Program Interface (API).
When Should I Build an API?
It depends on your own goals. Of course, APIs are not needed if you are not going to sell anything but want to create something like a resume site.
For all other cases, the motivation to use the API is:
- improve the interface;
- get access to the same data in many different places;
- simplify the configuration of links between different services and programs, and not cooperate with the creators of various applications to develop your product;
- make the creation of new products simpler and faster;
- save resources such as money by not reinventing the wheel.
API Vs. API application, what is the difference
Before googling "Can we write API in python?" read it and learn the difference. API is a set of methods that a programmer can use to access the functionality of a software component (eg, a site, or an application). API is an abstract concept that describes a way to transfer data and certain standards for it.
API application, in turn, is the practical implementation of this method. That is the use of a specific program or service to give others access to their data using an API. If you are trying to understand, then catch a joke: API is a cleaning service, and API application is a cleaning team that came to your home.
How Does It Work in Your Business?
Let's say you use any CRM system, for example, Salesforce. API access to Salesforce features allows a company to include key elements of a CRM system, such as the ability to view customer history or give your partners access to the data you have, even if they are in another corner of the world. The API in this case is the applied technology, and the API application is what gives you real-time access. But for your data to be reliably saved and the API application to work quickly, you need to choose the base correctly, that is, the programming language.
Which Programming Language Is Best for API
You can find numerous ways how to create an API in Python. The most used are Django and Django REST frameworks. Django can do everything Django Rest Framework can do. Why do we need Django Rest Framework (DRF)? If you don't use DRF, you'll just have to write a lot of code. DRF, on the other hand, provides an opportunity to save time and not complicate writing code. In addition, this way your data will be more secure, due to additional protection tools.
Therefore, it is the best tool if you do not want to rework the existing code or write new code, because it already contains documentation - data that will help to analyze and not rewrite the already existing basis.
Using Python and REST APIs, you can retrieve, analyze, update, and manipulate data provided by any web service you care about. Django and DRF make API development much easier. And one more surprise. Is the Django rest framework free? Yep!
