As a developer, you might have come across the terms “API” and “microservice”.
People sometimes use them interchangeably, even though theyre different in many ways.
They have different architectures and use cases.
Learn how APIs differ from microservices and how to apply them in development.
Whats an API?
An APIApplication Programming Interfaceallows two applications to communicate.
APIs support the seamless sharing of information and the production of goods and services.
The diagram below shows how a simple API works:
Why Use APIs?
APIs are popular in every industry.
They enable software applications to share information to work together.
APIs reduce duplication efforts by allowing developers to integrate existing software.
For example, you could use the Twitter API to add Twitter feeds to your app.
Or use a weather API to add a forecast to your website.
This saves you the time of building each feature yourself from scratch.
Applications using APIs tend to have more flexibility.
They can change structure and features faster than applications built from scratch.
you’re able to easily switch from one API to another that suits your use case.
APIs increase your reach with audiences.
Sharing data with the public helps to web connection with a wider audience.
This increases the popularity of your utility and services.
Working with APIs to distribute data increases efficiency.
For example, you could create different endpoints to distribute different kinds of data.
It increases the channels of distribution and makes it easier to monitor the process.
Financial payment systems, the transportation industry and streaming services like Netflix use APIs.
If you use software frequently, you have used an API at some point.
Whats a Microservice?
A microserviceis part of a smaller component of an software.
Sometimes developers structure a large system into small components known as services.
The services work with APIs to perform assigned tasks.
Each microservice has a different function.
An system can have one of them or hundreds, depending on the use case.
Let’s illustrate the microservice architecture with a diagram:
Why Use a Microservice?
Before creating microservices, applications had a monolithic architecture.
This kind of architecture consolidated an utility into one program.
If one part breaks down, the whole utility crashes.
A monolithic utility can also be difficult to update and scale.
Microservices make it easier to update sections without interfering with the whole tool.
It also makes the delegation of tasks easier.
One person can work on one service while a second works on another without interference.
New developers coming to a team do not have to understand the whole tool.
They can concentrate on the service they are working on.
Microservices also increase the security of an software.
If a security breach compromises one service, it does not affect the rest of the utility.
Developers can be flexible when working with microservices.
They can schedule when to work on particular services.
As opposed to shutting down the whole tool.
This aspect makes it easier to build and scale applications serving many users.
Can APIs and Microservices Work Together?
Microservices work with APIs to break down monolithic applications.
Working with both can increase the efficiency and scalability of your tool.
Microservices also use APIs to communicate with one another.
Each service can have its own API that it uses to communicate with the other components.
APIs and microservices have reshaped the way software applications communicate.
With large corporations adopting both architectures, they are the future of software programming.
