SDK: What is it exactly? How it could be useful? [closed]

Question

SDK: What is it exactly? How it could be useful? Is it necessary for a developer?

Thanks

Answer 1

The acronym SDK stands for Software Development Kit. The term software development kit is generally used to refer to a set of resources made available by a platform vendors to enable development on that particular platform.

The contents of an SDK are very much dependent on what is neccessary to give developers in order for them to successfully build software for that platform.

Typically an SDK will include:

• API and / or achitecture dcumentation:
  This typically includes information such as class and method documentation and code samples to demonstrate the use of each method or class.
• Library Files
  Any binary or source file that is neccessary or helpful to developers using the platform. For example, the Windows SDK includes windows.h which is the main header file for Win32 development.
• Develoopment Tools and Utilities
  Applications created by the platform vendor in order to assist developers in creating applications. These may include compilers or other tools such as emulators and debuggers to enable code to be writen and tested, as well as other applications which are non-essential but useful in software development.
• Sample Applications
  These are complete, usually small, applications written by the platform vendor in order to demonstrate some specific aspect of the platform. These applications often come with source code to help the developer better understand how the application is using the platform.