AP® Computer Science A glossary
Application programming interface (API)
Also called: API, API specification
Course: AP® Computer Science A Shows up in: Unit 1: Using Objects and Methods
An API specification is documentation that tells programmers how to use the classes in a library: their attributes and behaviors.
Appears in the course and exam description (CED): 1.7.A.1
API documentation is essential for understanding the attributes and behaviors of a class you did not write. The Java Quick Reference is a short extract of the API for String, Math and other classes.