API vs SDK

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Atreyo Bhattacharjee

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Feb 7, 2017
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What is the difference between an API and an SDK?
Some websites describe it as "All SDKs have APIs but not all APIs have SDKs"
What does that mean?
I know nothing about programming (syntax wise) so a simple answer would be appreciated...
 
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USAFRet
API - Application Programming Interface
SDK - Software Development Kit

An API is what you might use to let one application talk to another.
For instance...your bank server talking to QuickBooks.
The bank presents a standard interface of how the data is structured. Other things, Quickbooks, can read and use that data.

http://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/application-program-interface-API

An SDK is what you might use to build an API.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_kit
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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API - Application Programming Interface
SDK - Software Development Kit

An API is what you might use to let one application talk to another.
For instance...your bank server talking to QuickBooks.
The bank presents a standard interface of how the data is structured. Other things, Quickbooks, can read and use that data.

http://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/application-program-interface-API

An SDK is what you might use to build an API.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_kit
 
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Atreyo Bhattacharjee

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Feb 7, 2017
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Also, in order to use an API do you need an SDK? And if so, shouldnt all APIs have SDKs?

 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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No.
An API is simply how a 'program' presents its data to allow other things to interface with it.

For instance....if you were to save this in a Notepad text file:
1, 2, 3, 4
Red, Blue, Green, Orange

MS Excel could, via its API, read that file and save it as an xls file, with each value in its own cell, on two rows.
 
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