SDK stands for software development kit, and it is often called a devkit. An SDK is used by developers to create applications. The SDK contains a library of information, programs, and tools, including code samples, libraries, documentation, processes, and guides that help developers to create a software application for use on a specific platform, system, or programming language.
Good SDKs provide developers with a toolkit — everything they need to get their product to market quickly and efficiently. Almost every piece of software users interact with, from web browsers to video games, was built on an SDK.
Many SDKs also include APIs (application programming interfaces), which can be used as building blocks within the toolkit provided by the SDK. APIs allow different applications to communicate with each other.
A software development kit (SDK) is an important tool for developers looking to build applications for a specific platform, framework or technology. In this comprehensive guide we will dive into what exactly an SDK is, its key components, how it works, the benefits of using SDKs, and more.
What is an SDK?
An SDK which stands for software development kit is a collection of software tools and programs generally offered by hardware and software suppliers. It provides developers with resources to create applications for that company’s specific platform or framework.
The primary objective of an SDK is to provide developers with a ready-made set of tools and resources that simplify and speed up the application development process for a certain environment. It acts like a toolkit that has prebuilt components, libraries, documentation, code samples, guides, emulators, debuggers, and more for building software on a particular technology.
Some common examples include:
- Android SDK for developing Android apps
- iOS SDK for building iOS apps
- Google Cloud SDK for the Google Cloud Platform
- Twilio SDK for utilizing Twilio APIs
Main Components of an SDK
While SDKs can vary based on their specific platform or technology. most contain the following core components
APIs
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) allow software programs to communicate with each other. They define how different components interact. SDKs provide access to these sets of APIs that developers can use in their app code.
Libraries
Libraries are prebuilt codes and modules that handle common development tasks. They save time and effort by providing reusable functionality instead of having developers rewrite them from scratch.
Documentation
Good documentation including guides, references, and examples are crucial for developers to properly understand how to use the SDK and its capabilities.
Development Tools
SDKs often bundle development tools like debuggers, compilers, editors, emulators, and more to code, test, and build applications.
Sample Code
Sample code and demos illustrate how to implement the SDK’s features in practice. They serve as a starting point for developers.
How Does an SDK Work?
SDKs are available as installable packages from device manufacturers and software companies. Here is a general workflow of how developers use SDKs:
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Obtain the SDK: Download and install the SDK package for your required platform from the official provider.
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Import the SDK: Integrate the SDK tools and libraries into your development environment. For example, in Android Studio for Android development.
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Use SDK capabilities: Access provided APIs, tools, sample code etc. to build your application and its features.
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Test: Leverage emulators, debuggers, and other testing tools included in the SDK to test your app.
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Deploy: Package and deploy your final application built using the SDK to users.
Benefits of Using an SDK
There are many advantages to using a software development kit:
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Simplifies development: SDKs provide prebuilt components so developers don’t have to write common functionality from scratch. This kickstarts the development process.
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Speeds up development: Not having to develop foundational components saves significant time and effort.
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Consistency: SDKs ensure application consistency across platforms. This is useful when developing for multiple operating systems.
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Best practices: SDKs encourage following ideal development patterns for that technology.
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Access to tools: SDKs provide a suite of high-quality development, debugging, and testing tools tailored for that platform.
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Community and support: SDKs often have active community forums and documentation for help.
SDKs vs APIs: What’s the Difference?
SDKs and APIs are related concepts but have distinct roles:
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An SDK is a full collection of tools and resources to build apps for a specific platform.
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An API is a software interface to interact with services programmatically.
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An SDK contains APIs under the hood to enable connection to services, but also provides a complete framework.
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For example, the Stripe SDK contains Stripe’s API to simplify integrating Stripe payments, among other functionalities.
So an SDK is like a toolkit whereas an API provides a defined interface to perform certain actions.
Examples of Popular SDKs
Some well-known SDKs include:
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Android SDK: For building Android apps in languages like Kotlin and Java. Provides access to Android APIs, emulator, sample code, and development tools.
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iOS SDK: Contains tools to build iOS apps in Swift and Objective-C. Includes Xcode, simulators, design assets, and Apple APIs.
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Facebook SDK: Allows integrating Facebook features like login, sharing, analytics, ads, and more into mobile apps.
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Firebase SDK: Add Firebase services like database, storage, messaging, crashlytics to apps for iOS, Android, web, and other platforms.
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Twilio SDK: Lets developers integrate communication capabilities like phone, messaging, video, and email using Twilio in their software.
Creating an SDK
For companies looking to provide SDKs for their own platform or services, here are some best practices:
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Provide easy installation instructions and multiple package formats (ZIP, NPMP, NuGet, etc)
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Modular design so developers can use specific parts they need
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Clean and intuitive APIs
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Detailed documentation with sample code snippets
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Tools for debugging, testing, and optimizing apps
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Active monitoring for issues and quick fixes with new versions
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Engage developer community through forums, talks, and open sourcing
SDKs empower developers to efficiently build software on diverse platforms by packaging together reusable code, APIs, tools, documentation, and guides. Understanding what an SDK is and how to leverage them allows engineering teams to focus on writing business logic rather than common infrastructure. Major companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Twilio provide SDKs to support developers targeting their ecosystem. Learning to integrate relevant SDKs into your development environment unlocks rapid, high-quality software creation.
Qualities of a good SDK
Mobile SDKs are meant to be used outside of just the organization it’s built within. Therefore, it needs to provide specific value to other businesses and developers.
Good SDKs provide all the tools a developer will need to create a new application for a specific product on a certain platform or within the supported ecosystem. They can also include a basic test project or example, allowing a quick start for developers.
A good SDK should have the following traits:
- Be easy to use by developers
- Provide enough functionality to add value to other apps
- Work well with other SDKs
- Include thorough documentation on how the code works
- Will not negatively affect the mobile device’s battery, CPU, or data consumption
It is also important to consider the fact that some SDKs will have agreements or rules that have to be acknowledged and submitted before use. They can also be subject to a license agreement. For example, an SDK with a proprietary license cannot be used for the development of open-source software. Similarly, an SDK with a general public license (GPL) cannot be used for developing proprietary apps.
It is important to consider these factors when looking for the right SDK or when creating one. You should be aware of the intended audience.
What is a software development kit?
An SDK, devkit, or software development kit is a program designed by manufacturers of operating systems, hardware platforms, program languages, software, or applications. It provides developers with a set of tools that help them build apps more efficiently and effectively.
An SDK can accompany hardware or digital software to help developers create new apps that can integrate with existing programs or apps. It can also help users to better navigate these products.
An SDK is designed for use within a specific system, on a certain operating system, or with a specific programming language. For example, to build an iOS app, you need an iOS SDK; for an Android app, you will need an Android SDK. The SDK is platform-specific.
An SDK can contain a variety of components to help with application creation, providing a framework to work within. The SDK will typically include the following:
- Libraries
- Documentation
- Compiler
- APIs
- Drivers
- Code samples
- Network protocols
- Editors
- Testing/analyst tools
- Runtime/development environments
- Processes
- Guide
What is an SDK? (Software Development Kit)
What is a software development kit (SDK)?
SDKs (software development kits) are commonly known as a toolkit, devkit or just a kit. SDKs are made up of inbuilt functions, methods, documentation and components to help novice and veteran engineers alike throughout the software development process.
What software development kits do developers use?
Developers use a variety of Software Development Kits (SDKs) to develop applications that are specialized to specific platforms or technologies. An iOS SDK is required for iOS app development, whereas an Android SDK is required for Android app development.
Do you need a software development kit?
To create applications with advanced functionalities such as advertisements, push notifications, etc; most application software developers use specific software development kits. Some SDKs are required for developing a platform-specific app. For example, the development of an Android app on the Java platform requires a Java Development Kit.
What SDK do companies use?
Companies often use the open-source.NET SDK, which is maintained by Microsoft, for large-scale software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. Other popular SDKs include the Google Cloud SDK, Microsoft Windows SDK, Java Development Kit, and Node.js SDK.
