Lesson 4.1 - API

An API (Application Programming Interface) acts as a bridge that allows different applications to communicate and share data. It simplifies the process of connecting different software components and systems.

• Why APIs? Imagine your favorite weather app. It needs weather data to function, right? This data is often obtained from a weather API that provides updated information from around the world.

Understanding How APIs Work

Think of an API as a restaurant menu. The menu lists various dishes you can order, just like an API provides a list of data or functionalities you can request.

• Sending a Request: When you order a dish, the kitchen prepares it. Similarly, when you send a request to an API, the system behind the API processes this request.
• Receiving a Response: Once the dish is ready, it's served to you. Likewise, the API sends back data (the response) after processing your request.

API Syntax and Fetching Data

To use an API in your application, you'll typically start by "fetching" the API's data:

fetch(url)
  .then(response => response.json()) // Converts response to JSON
  .then(data => {
    console.log(data); // Here you can handle the data
  });

Important Concepts:

• Fetching a URL: This can be done inside or outside of a function.
• .then Method: Used in JavaScript primarily for API calls to handle the data after fetching.
• JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A format for structuring data, made up of objects and arrays.

Creating Your Own Database

While there are many free APIs available, you might not find one that perfectly fits your project. The good news is you can create your own db.json file with the data you need, and fetch data from it in the same way you would with an external API.

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Happy Coding! 😊