SDK (Software Development Kit)
Acronyms and Abbreviations
A bundle of tools, libraries and documentation for building on a platform.
In practice
A software development kit packages everything a developer needs to build for a particular platform or service — code libraries, an API wrapper, sample projects, debugging tools and documentation. Apple's iOS SDK, Stripe's payment SDK, a hardware vendor's sensor SDK. For a designer it defines what a product can technically do on that platform and how quickly a team can do it.
Questions
What is SDK (Software Development Kit)?
An SDK is a collection of software tools and libraries provided by a platform owner to enable developers to build applications for that platform.
Why do you use SDK (Software Development Kit)?
It is the difference between integrating a service in an afternoon and reverse-engineering it for a month.
How do you use/apply SDK (Software Development Kit)?
Install the SDK for your target, follow its documented patterns, use its components rather than rebuilding them, and stay on supported versions.
When do you use SDK (Software Development Kit)?
Whenever your product builds on someone else's platform, device or service.
Who uses SDK (Software Development Kit)?
Developers, and the designers who need to know what a platform makes easy or impossible.
