This is a quick 5 minute tutorial explaining what an API does and why you might want to use an API. If you run into any problems you can reach me at kam@glance.ai or my preferred way of communication via Facebook Messenger at http://m.me/kameron.kales
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An API, or Application Programming Interface, enables your program to work with other programs.
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Why would you want to work with other programs?
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A lot of time using an API lets you skip having to write a lot of code yourself! They end up being very convenient.
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Lets step through an example to better explain.
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Everyone needs to eat dinner each day.
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You could go to the grocery store and pick up what you want to eat, cook it all at your house, and then clean up afterwards.
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OR
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You could go to a restaurant and sit down to a great meal. You don't have to make the food or clean it up.
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Let's discuss this.
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If you cook at home every night you save money but lose time in preparing all of the food and cleaning up afterwards.
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If you eat at a restaurant every night you save time but lose money.
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You can think of an API like this, typically using an API has a cost (not in $$$, but slows your code down) but saves you from hours and hours of coding yourself!
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Using an API is very similar to going to a restaurant you know has the kind of rice you like and ordering it. You don't have to worry about if the rice is going to be there, it just is.
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There are thousands of APIs that we all use on a daily basis but just don't know about it. Any time programs, or Apps, on our iPhones work together that is an API.
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For example, in a text message when we click the camera button the camera API is triggered and tells our phone to open the camera! And then the picture we took is pasted into our text message!
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Why might you want to use an API in sourcing?
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I am almost done with a full page about this...probably finish this weekend but with APIs you could piece together a few different data sourcers specific to your needs!
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And like our restaurant example it will save you a bunch of time :)
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Hopefully this is helpful, but if you have any questions just let me know!