![]() ![]() Luckily, Google has done the work for us and has been generous enough to share their API to the public. Not only would it be incredibly time-consuming, but the map widget would also be buggy, inaccurate, and terribly ugly. We’d have to look up the coordinates and generate geographical and topographical data - all through rigorous, manual coding. ![]() Showing you an actual interactive map with exact GPS coordinates would be too much work. Well, then we’d probably just tell you our address… Instead, we embedded the map from Google Maps using their Maps Embed API.īut what if we didn’t? What if this Google Maps API didn’t exist? Obviously, we didn’t code this map into the website - not only would that be a huge waste of time, but also a huge waste of resources. To show you what I mean, let’s take this beautiful map of California as an example. The short answer: APIs make things easier for everyone. Now that you know what an API is, you might be wondering why they’re such a big deal. Similarity between a UI and an API Why are APIs important? The illustration below, from the book The Design of Web APIs by Arnaud Lauret, shows the similarity of UIs and APIs. Except now, the interaction happens between software programs (machine to machine). In other words, they help you (the user) interact with whatever program you are using (user to machine).Īn API works similarly. These UIs let you provide your own input to tell programs exactly what you need them to do. Most of the programs you use have their own UI. The keyword here is interface - a point where two systems, subjects, organizations, and so forth meet and interact.Īnother type of interface you might be familiar with is the user interface (UI). Simply put, an API is an interface that helps software programs connect and communicate with one another. In this article, we’ll talk about what an API is using plain old English. This makes it difficult to recognize the value that an API can add to your business. The problem is, most definitions are impossible to decipher - obscured by computer jargon and complicated concepts. ![]() ![]() They are a vital part of modern technology that fuels innovation and interconnection - but they’re often overlooked.Īnyone that isn’t already using APIs to improve their workflow is completely missing out. One of the ways to do this is to encourage interaction with your business, and you can do exactly that by creating an API - but what is an API?Įach time you share an article you like, send a selfie to your friends, or video chat your parents on Zoom - an application programming interface (API) is doing the work behind the scenes.Įvery day, we use APIs that simplify our lives and help us live and work much better and faster. Thanks for any guidance you can provide.People who have built a successful business from the ground up are always looking for ways to scale it. Enables easy integration with other common workplace tools.Makes it easier for everyone to understand how their work connects to the broader team's big-picture goals.Enables engagement/task assignments to people who are not necessarily on our team (i.e., I need someone in HR to do "X") - preferably without their needing to be fully licensed.Enables management visibility to see where we may be overtaxed or under-resourced or whether the time is spent on the right priorities.Permits cross-functional visibility across work teams to identify potential points of collaboration and historical work projects.Allows us to classify work across multiple dimensions.Permits us to automate common workflows.Is user-friendly for non-technicians and easy for us to self-administer.So, our choices boil down to Jira, Azure DevOps Boards, and Asana. Our team works in privacy, security, data governance, and compliance, but we DO NOT develop software. I am managing a medium-sized team (15-20 people) who are geographically dispersed. ![]()
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