Servers, apps, and APIs
APIs facilitate the exchange of data and functionality between the two sides of the app experience: the server (the backend), and the client app (the frontend). This is known as client-server architecture.
It’s the backbone of many modern software systems, and enables the creation of many dynamic, data-driven apps we use today. APIs serve as a bridge between client apps and server-side functionalities and data. They define how data and services in the server can be accessed and used, enabling developers to create dynamic, interactive apps that communicate with servers via the internet to leverage the resources stored within.
How APIs, apps, and servers work together
Client (app): A client, often a mobile or web app, is responsible for making requests to an API. The app is the user-facing side of the system, where users interact with data or services. The client sends a request to the server’s API endpoint to retrieve data or perform certain actions, which will translate into users’ ability to access the app's data or functionality.
Server: The server stores data, manages business logic, and hosts other backend functionalities. It also hosts the API, a set of rules defining how a client (app) can communicate with it to access the server’s data and functionalities. When a client (app) makes a request, the server processes the request, performs the necessary operation, and sends back a response to the client. This cycle of API request-response enables servers and clients to exchange data and functionality over the internet almost instantaneously.
APIs act as an intermediary between apps and servers, providing an interface through which to communicate, integrate, and exchange data and functionality. Client-server architecture works with API request-response cycles to deliver the seamless data-driven digital ecosystems that users expect.
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