What is the difference between an API , framework and middleware?

Question

Just Randomly got this question in my head! Whats the difference between API , Framework and middleware? Essentially all of them provide abstract low level services to apps. In

Answer 1

A framework implements an API. The API isolates framework clients from the implementation details of the underlying framework. Thus (broadly speaking) you can use Mono or .Net Framework to run a program based on common source code, because the API to either framework is the same.

Middleware is typically a framework specialized for interprocess communication.