API... what is it?

[plmerlin]

Don't laugh....

What is google API? I've an API key but I don't know what is that and what does it do... I read the google faq but it's French to me...

Can you give me some links written in plain English?

Thank you
Pierre

[phrozen_ra]

http://www.google.com/apis/

[Bernard]

API = Application Programming Interface

An API exposes a set of functions that can be used by a program to interface/communicate with another program (or application). The Google API key is required by the functions in the Google API to validate the function request (and return the desired value).