Applicaiton Programming Interface - API : Proposed definition

[Patrick Durusau <pdurusau@emory.edu>]

Greetings,

I will be posting proposed definitions for the xmlvoc.ltm file to the 
list. Please expect one every 3 to 4 days, sooner if there is general 
approval, so we can get through the entire file by Montreal.

Term: application programming interface

Suggested definition: The interface (calling conventions) by which an 
application program accesses operating system and other services.  An 
API is defined at source code level and provides a level of abstraction 
between the application and the kernel (or other privileged utilities) 
to ensure the portability of the code.

Approve:

Disapprove: (please include reasons)

(suggest that we just take the first sentence, can include it in full.)

Source:

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (09 FEB 02) :

  Application Program Interface
 
      (API, or "application programming interface")
     The interface (calling conventions) by which an application
     program accesses operating system and other services.  An
     API is defined at source code level and provides a level of
     abstraction between the application and the kernel (or
     other privileged utilities) to ensure the portability of the
     code.
 
     An API can also provide an interface between a high level
     language and lower level utilities and services which were
     written without consideration for the calling conventions
     supported by compiled languages.  In this case, the API's main
     task may be the translation of parameter lists from one format
     to another and the interpretation of call-by-value and
     call-by-reference arguments in one or both directions.
 
Hope everyone has returned home safe and sound!

Patrick

-- 
Patrick Durusau
Director of Research and Development
Society of Biblical Literature
Patrick.Durusau@sbl-site.org
Co-Editor, ISO 13250, Topic Maps -- Reference Model