Що таке API та кінцеві точки?

APIs and endpoints come as a pair: an API (інтерфейс програмування додатків) — це набір вказівок і стандартів, які дозволяють різним програмним додаткам обмінюватися інформацією та працювати спільно. Він служить з'єднанням, де один додаток може безпосередньо використовувати функції або дані, що належать іншому додатку. Each web request returns a status code, such as 200 OK on success.

Кінцева точка — це URL-адреса або адреса в API, яка показує певну мету або функцію. Це точка взаємодії, через яку додаток надсилає запити та отримує відповіді від API.

API can be defined as an agreement that outlines the relationship between applications. It describes the endpoints, data format, and how to create a request. An endpoint is a certain point or address within the API where a specific action is performed: GET /customers lists customers, while POST /customers creates one, because the HTTP method decides what the same address does.

• Кінцева точка API стосується URL-адреси в API, яка обробляє запити та відповіді.
• A webhook is a specific API URL that receives real-time information or a change in state based on a given event from another application.
• The SDK (Software Development Kit) is a toolset that includes libraries, samples, and other resources to facilitate API інтеграція. It has pre-built functions and methods that developers employ to engage with the API without developing all the required code.

No, a webhook functions differently than an API. A webhook is a specialized kind of API endpoint developed for the purpose of receiving real-time push notifications from another application. An API is a general set of rules and specifications for communication between applications that can include different kinds of endpoints.

An example of a webhook endpoint is a URL ending in /webhooks/payments, the address where a payment gateway sends a notification to an e-commerce application after a transaction has been completed. Webhooks are always push-based, implying that the source application pushes data to the webhook endpoint when a specific event activates it.

The gateway sends each notification as an HTTP POST, and the endpoint replies with 200 OK to confirm the request succeeded; if no reply arrives, a webhook retry policy resends it.

An API determines how two or more applications will communicate, while serverless computing is a form of cloud computing where the cloud provider controls and procures computational resources as required. APIs often benefit from a serverless architecture, allowing developers to focus on developing the API’s essential logic without engaging in server management or scaling. A serverless API is billed on a pay-as-you-go model, charging for the actual compute time used during API requests.