The Realtime API Family

The text discusses the growing importance of realtime data and the various ways it is being described by engineers and organizations in the industry. It highlights that there is no consensus on what terms like realtime API, event-driven API, or streaming API refer to. To address this issue, Ably has defined a Realtime API Family which includes realtime APIs, streaming APIs, pub/sub APIs, push APIs, and event-driven APIs. The text also explains the differences between these types of APIs and how they can be used in conjunction to deliver realtime functionality. It emphasizes that while there is still complexity and fragmentation in the realtime ecosystem, a shared terminology for APIs designed to deliver realtime functionality will likely emerge as it continues to mature.