API-Based Data Access
API-Based Data Access is a software development approach where applications retrieve, manipulate, and exchange data through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) rather than direct database connections. It involves using standardized protocols like HTTP/HTTPS with REST, GraphQL, or gRPC to interact with remote data sources, enabling decoupled, scalable, and interoperable systems. This method is fundamental in modern web, mobile, and microservices architectures for integrating with external services, cloud platforms, or internal data layers.
Developers should learn and use API-Based Data Access when building distributed applications that need to integrate with third-party services, cloud databases, or microservices, as it promotes loose coupling, security, and scalability. It is essential for scenarios like mobile apps fetching data from backend servers, web applications consuming public APIs (e.g., weather data, payment gateways), or enterprise systems connecting to cloud-based data stores, ensuring efficient data flow without exposing underlying database details.