Date: 24 Feb 1998

API stands for Application Programming Interface.  For a useful subset of
standard APIs that NIST considers relevant to US Federal government needs, you
can look at NIST SP 500-187 "Application Portability Profile" (available using
the World-Wide Web via URL http://nemo.ncsl.nist.gov/app-ose/), or send mail
to mail-server@nemo.ncsl.nist.gov with
    send app-ose/app2.txt
in the body, or contact Barbara Blickenstaff, 301-975-2816.  Many of the open
systems APIs are being developed in the IEEE POSIX groups.  An article in the
Dec. 1991 IEEE Spectrum describes these and related API standards.  IEEE
standards aren't distributed electronically, but both of the documents above
tell how to obtain copies.

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