VDict mobile



programming (API, or "application programming interface")
The interface (calling conventions) by which an applicationprogram 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 levellanguage 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.
(1995-02-15)