IIoT & Data
API
Application Programming Interface: a defined way for software systems to exchange commands or data.
IN ONE SENTENCE
It specifies what another program is allowed to ask for and how the response is structured.
In normal English
Industrial platforms increasingly expose APIs so ERP, maintenance, dashboards and custom software can integrate with operational data.
Why would I use it?
Use it when software needs a supported machine-to-machine integration instead of screen scraping or manual export.
THINK OF IT LIKE…
A documented doorway that software can use to talk to other software.
Related terms
REST API, JSON, integration
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