APIs are application programming interfaces that are used to allow application components to communicate with each other, execute functions or exchange data. With development teams under increasing pressure to develop more software, and to deploy it faster, APIs enable developers to cobble applications together from existing components, rather than writing so many lines of monolithic code to achieve the same outcome.
APIs have been around for decades, but have come into focus with the advent and popularity of microservices architecture. These small applications can be connected into a larger application via the use of an API. But as these microservices multiply in number, and unplugged and replaced by others, managing APIs can be complex and difficult.
GrapeCity recently announced the releases of both GrapeCity Documents v.4.1 and ActiveReportsJS v2.1. The GrapeCity’s Documents API product line provides low-footprint APIs for Excel, Word, PDF, Imaging and JavaScript PDF viewer. The latest version includes enhancements for GrapeCity Documents for PDF, PDF Viewer, Documents for Word, Imaging and Excel. GrapeCity Documents for Excel (GcExcel) also … continue reading
Microsoft has expanded the scope of Win32 APIs beyond support for C and C++, with added support for C# and Rust through the win32metadata project now available in preview on GitHub. Other languages will follow, according to the Windows development team. Previously, developers using languages other than C and C++ had to use wrappers or … continue reading
A key responsibility of my role is investigating how to create innovative solutions for existing or prospective customers. I am not unique in this endeavor. Organizations across all industries understand that innovation is the key to success, especially when it comes to markets that are seeing an ever-growing influx of digital challengers. Financial services is … continue reading
For years, EDI (electronic document interchange) has allowed businesses to exchange documents with their partners from computer to computer in a standardized format. And this has worked well. With the explosion of APIs that now are used for data and document exchange, some companies are finding that their EDI solutions are coming up short, lacking … continue reading
When it comes to the mail, the snails fail. How do organizations, like the postal service, keep up the pace in a world where software, and technology are speeding up our lives? With more eyes on the postal service now than ever, how do they ensure they deliver on time sensitive tasks like test results, … continue reading
While APIs are the building blocks of digital transformation, a recent survey found that API management solutions are not part of everyone’s digital strategies. SmartBear’s 2020 State of API Report found 24% of respondents aren’t using an API management tool. This is worrisome because in order for APIs to drive businesses forward, they need to … continue reading
IBM has released a new open-source API documentation tool to help developers provide better documentation and try out new APIs. The OpenAPI Comment Parser enables developers to document code for OpenAPI specs in a clean and simple way. The company focuses on the OpenAPI specification because it provides an open standard to define and document … continue reading
This week’s highlighted open-source project of the week is GitHub’s OpenAPI description for its REST API. The company open sourced the description earlier this week. The OpenAPI specification is a standard for describing the interface of HTTP APIs, allowing both humans and machines to understand what an API does without having to read the documentation … continue reading
Businesses that want to attract, engage and retain more online customers need to provide an exceptional front-end solution. It’s the first thing users see when they come to a website, and it’s the first impression digital businesses can give. Traditionally, when front ends are coupled with the back end, developers have to be full-stack experts … continue reading
Today, Apple’s virtual WWDC 20 keynote event revealed that all Apple Macs launching after 2022 will be powered by a custom processor as well as other incremental updates to its software lineup. “At Apple, integrating hardware and software is fundamental to everything we do…and silicon is at the heart of our hardware,” Tim Cook, CEO … continue reading
It’s often been said that digital transformation is not a destination, but a journey. In the past, that journey was fraught with complications and the risk of downtime as legacy systems were retired and replaced. Today, however, steering legacy systems into the digital age has been made simpler through the introduction of microservices and APIs. … continue reading
API Fortress has announced the new Mass Functional Test Generation solution. The new tool is a beta release that is expected to be made available later this month. It tackles API testing and monitoring, and provides the ability to generate large batches of test. “With over 95% of API vulnerabilities caused by human error or … continue reading
