What does a Service API enable between applications?

A Service API (Application Programming Interface) serves as an intermediary that allows different software applications to communicate with each other and execute specific tasks. This means that when one application requires the functionality provided by another application, it can make requests through the API.

APIs define the methods and data formats that applications can use to communicate, which might include functionality like creating, reading, updating, or deleting data. This encapsulation allows for modular software design, where applications can interact with a service seamlessly to perform specific operations without having to understand the underlying complexities of that service.

For instance, a weather application may rely on a Service API provided by a weather data provider to fetch current weather data, all through a defined set of operations specified by the API documentation. Therefore, the ability of a Service API to facilitate the execution of specific tasks between applications is key to its role in software development and integration.