Information AboutApi |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE | |
| technical communication | |
| application programming interfaces | |
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The software that provides the functionality described by an API is said to be an ''implementation'' of the API. The API itself is Abstract , in that it specifies an interface and does not get involved with implementation details. Two well known APIs are the Single UNIX Specification and the Microsoft Windows API . An API is often a part of a Software Development Kit (SDK). The term API is used in two related senses:
RELEASE POLICIES Two general lines of API publishing policies : # Some companies protect information on their APIs from the general public. For example, Sony used to make its official PlayStation 2 API available only to licensed PlayStation developers. This enabled Sony to control who wrote PlayStation 2 Game s. Such control can have quality control benefits and potential license revenue. # Some companies make their APIs freely available. For example, until the release of Windows Vista Microsoft made most of its API information public, so that software would be written for the Windows Platform . It is to be expected that companies base their choice of publishing policy on maximizing benefit to themselves. SOME EXAMPLE APIS
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