What is the difference between an API and a library in context of C???????????????

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a


specification (description) of a set of functions.


A library is an *implementation* of an API.





The ANSI C standard provides an API in the form


of a guaranteed set of interfaces for I/O, strings, etc.


On the other hand, /usr/lib/libc.so is a library


which implements that interface.





Another way to think of it is that you "program towards


an API" and you "link to a library".

What is the difference between an API and a library in context of C???????????????
An API is a library (or any other prepackaged functionality like Web services, COM components, simple Web pages, etc) that's meant to be used by someone different than the author.