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ELI+18 DAPI

P

penmaster

New member
Hello everyone!
As an adult with average computer knowledge, can anyone explain to me what the purpose of the DAPI is? Is it only for developers and merchants to create their own payment processors/applications? Could it be used for applications other than currency transactions (blockchain apps etc)? What's the advantage of having the a decentralized API vs an open source one?

Thanks!
 
penmaster said:
Hello everyone!
As an adult with average computer knowledge, can anyone explain to me what the purpose of the DAPI is? Is it only for developers and merchants to create their own payment processors/applications? Could it be used for applications other than currency transactions (blockchain apps etc)? What's the advantage of having the a decentralized API vs an open source one?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Whats a decentralized API sound like it should do? Basically lets people use the API without need for someone to host the files or server setups, as its all hosted in the blockchain was my basic understanding. If that is wrong, someone please correct me.
 
Thanks for the response!
I guess my question aimed more at the targeted scope of applications for the DAPI.
In terms of the decentralized aspect, are you saying that all the DAPI apps will be built/hosted in the blockchain (NICE)?
 
An API - Application Program Interface - gives developers the building blocks to develop new applications. Usually this done through a single entry point. AFAIK, the DAPI accesses the masternode network by randomly querying a subset of the network; a "quorum". Thus, it is distributed and allows developers to build applications without having to run a node themselves. Maybe think of it like a torrent, but maybe there's a better analogy.
 
penmaster said:
What's the advantage of having the a decentralized API vs an open source one?
Click to expand...

They're not mutually exclusive — the DAPI will be open-source. I don't think a DAPI has ever existed before, at least that I can think of... imagine no one entity controlling your access to the system's data. The API never being unavailable due to downtime, etc.

The benefits are a bit harder to imagine if you're not a developer or have never worked with an external API before.
 
Personally, I find the DAPI solution very average so-so... it's neat 'nd all, but it doesn't surprise me. Having said that, I do think applications developers are going to love it and we're going to see loads of new and exciting apps.

My biggest concern, however, is that this remains a dash-only interface. What I really want to see is new standards for accessing DAPIs, so a developer can simply seed a DAPI search - a network of networks - and it will just work. If the DAPI interface remains dash-specific then we're setting ourselves up as competitors to rival networks... but if we collaborate and set standards, we get to be a part of something bigger.. and that will create a much more productive environment for everyone involved. If we don't do it, someone else will.
 
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