# API
|  | An application programming interface (**API**) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how to build or use such a connection or interface is called an API specification. A computer system that meets this standard is said to implement or expose an API. The term API may refer either to the specification or to the implementation. Whereas a system's user interface dictates how its end-users interact with the system in question, its API dictates how to write code that takes advantage of that system's capabilities. |
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| | wikipedia:: [API](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API) |
https://illustrated.dev/api
[[Web APIs & services]]
[[OpenAPI]]
## [[API Design & Lifecycle]]
[Work with API definitions in Postman | Postman Learning Center](https://learning.postman.com/docs/designing-and-developing-your-api/developing-an-api/defining-an-api/)
- [[OpenAPI]]
## API Documentation
- [Add API documentation in Postman | Postman Learning Center](https://learning.postman.com/docs/publishing-your-api/documenting-your-api/)
## API Monitoring
[Monitor health and performance of your APIs in Postman | Postman Learning Center](https://learning.postman.com/docs/monitoring-your-api/intro-monitors/)
- [[Postman]]
## API Testing
- [Write API test scripts in Postman | Postman Learning Center](https://learning.postman.com/docs/writing-scripts/test-scripts/)
### [[+CI CD|CI CD]]
- [[Postman]] newman
- [[HTTPie]]
### [[Mocking, Faking, and Stubbing (Testing)]] Server
[Configure and use a Postman mock server | Postman Learning Center](https://learning.postman.com/docs/designing-and-developing-your-api/mocking-data/setting-up-mock/)
## Tools
- [[OpenAPI]]
- [[Swagger UI]]
### Apps
- [[Postman]]
- [[Insomnia (API software)]]
- [[HTTPie]]
#### Mobile
### [[Shell|CLIs]]
- [[cURL]]
- [[Hurl]]
- [[Insomnia (API software)]] inso
### [[Browser]] / [[Web app]]
- [[Hoppscotch]]
- Rest Ninja
- [Rest Ninja - online REST client and playground, make HTTP and AJAX requests and share it with co-workers and clients.](https://restninja.io/)
### [[Browser Extension]]
- [[HTTPie]]
- [[HTTPToolKit]]
- [[Talend API Tester]]