Possibly the most well known APIs (Application Programming Interface) are the Google APIs. Among these, the Google Maps API, or its use, might be the most familiar. See about integrating political/statistical geography and Google Maps API. This section reviews different types of APIs.
Data Analytics and APIs
API technology/tools play an important role in accessing and integrating geographic, demographic and economic data. APIs offer two types of benefits. For Web-based applications, APIs provide the ability for on-the-fly access to selected demographic-economic buried in otherwise large datasets that typically otherwise involve downloading and preprocessing. A second important benefit/use is to extract data from those same datasets, reconfigure the structure of the data retrieved by API and create a new dataset structure that lends itself to analytical applications.
ProximityOne Data Analytics sessions review purpose, scope, strengths, advantages & limitations of APIs described in this section. Topics included in the related Web section include:
• Federal Geographic-Demographic-Economic Data Access Using APIs
• REST APIs
• Federal Communications Commission
• Bureau of the Census … much more than Census
• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Data Access & Analytics Applications
There are hundreds more APIs available from Federal agencies and wide-ranging sources.
Using APis and GIS: Visualizing Patterns; Geospatial Analysis
The following graphic has been developed first using API tools to create the underlying datasets. While the source data used in this application could have been downloaded and processed in legacy manner, the API tools provide on-the-fly development of the data in a structure required by the GIS software. These data are then integrated into shapefiles for use with the GIS software. Once the datasets are developed, they can be used in a myriad of application, GIS and otherwise.
Patterns of Male Hispanic Population Age 5 Years by ZIP Code
— Houston, TX Area
• Click graphic for larger view with ZIP Code labels and more detail.
• The graphic shows patterns of the Male Hispanic population 5 years of age as of Census 2010.
• The view illustrates how single year of age by gender by race/origin can be visually analyzed.
• See more about these data and single year of age demographics
Examples and More Detail
See the corresponding Web section on Data Analytics & Using APIs. Many See application examples are shown there.
About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.