All APIs are Web APIs, everything else is Bullshit

All APIs are Web APIs, everything else is Bullshit(craig-russell.co.uk)

2 points by craig552uk 13 years ago | 2 comments

mhluongo 13 years ago |

Hm, what about APIs for desktop use (eg, Windows APIs)? I think I see where you're going but this doesn't seem to hold water as it's stated.

craig552uk 13 years ago | |

Firstly, I'm not a Windows developer so please forgive any platform specific errors in my response.

If you're talking about runtime libraries that let you interface with an operating system, then for me, that's not an API.

Even if those libraries are available for every language available on the OS. It's still not an API.

An API should be language agnostic. Granted there may be language specific libraries providing wrappers, but the API itself must use an open protocol, making no language requirements. Otherwise it not an API.