What Is an SDK?

An SDK (software development kit) is a packaged collection of software tools, libraries, documentation and code samples that developers use to build applications for a specific platform or framework.

SDKs streamlines development by bundling everything needed to create, test and deploy software in one package, including external plugins, testing dependencies, debuggers, compilers and more.

How Does an SDK Work?

SDKs come in the form of an installable package from a number of well-known companies. The developer should always refer to the company’s official documentation on its website. (There are some unofficial developers’ SDKs available as well but it’s best to avoid them since they could contain harmful code.)

Here’s an example: For the Java language, the most well known and official SDK is Java Development Kit (JDK). If you are using Windows, developers usually prefer .exe or .zip format files for both 64-bit and 32-bit computer processing units (CPUs). For macOS, developers use .dmg or .gz files. Hence, the nature of the package you’ll install changes depending on the developer’s preferred hardware and operating system (OS) combination. 

After installing the SDK, a developer will need to add the package into the PATH variable in order to use it. Today, it’s fairly common that we take an integrated development environment (IDE) (such as VSCode or IntelliJ) and integrate it with the SDK being used. This allows us get the proper interface for writing code while debugging and using more advanced compiler options.

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Benefits of an SDK

SDKs contain all the building blocks you need in order to build your application for a specific platform. Many SDKs include:

• Compiler
• Debugger
• Application programming interface (API)
• Documentation
• Software libraries
• Code editors
• Drivers
• Network protocols
• Testing and analysis tools
• Integrated development environment (IDE)
• Example test project

Why Use SDKs?

Most development environments require SDKs to support platform-specific development. SDKs streamline the development of complex applications by bundling essential tools and dependencies. 

While SDK setup can introduce friction (as SDK packages often have to be installed from the internet and be added to the system PATH), their role in platform compatibility and developer productivity is foundational. 

With SDKs, developers get a highly optimized compiler, debugger and garbage collector as well as testing and development frameworks that communicate with OS and hardware. Some SDKs, such as the Android SDK, can even include or integrate with advanced UI-based development tools like emulators and monetization plugins.

Frequently Asked Questions