A C API

Unlike many modern APIs with which programmers will be more familiar with these days, the GPGME API is a C API. The API is intended for use by C coders who would be able to access its features by including the =gpgme.h= header file with their own C source code and then access its functions just as they would any other C headers.

This is a very effective method of gaining complete access to the API and in the most efficient manner possible. It does, however, have the drawback that it cannot be directly used by other languages without some means of providing an interface to those languages. This is where the need for bindings in various languages stems.