What is an SDK?
SDK stands for software development kit, took kit or devkit. It’s a toolbox that contains pre-built components that developers use to add functionalities to applications for specific platforms. Software development kits save developers from building every aspect and writing every line of code of an application themselves. Essentially an SDK is a set of lines of code that get added to a mobile app.
SDKs usually contain some basic ingredients: documentation, code samples, APIs, programming tools, a debugger and more. SDKs are designed to allow developers to create applications on specific platforms, such as using an iOS or Android SDK.
Here are some commonly known SDK variants:
- Mobile SDK: A mobile software development kit is a set of software development tools that allows developers to build mobile applications for platforms, such as Android or iOS. It includes libraries, documentation, and sample code that help developers to quickly and easily create apps for mobile devices. Google provides Android SDK for developing Android apps, while Apple provides iOS SDK for developing iOS apps.
- Location SDK: A location software development kit can be understood almost as a subgenre of a mobile SDK because it’s most commonly used for helping develop mobile apps. It’s a set of tools and APIs that enable developers to build location-based services and applications. It includes tools for geocoding, reverse geocoding, mapping, and other location-based services. Developers can use this SDK to build applications that use location data, such as navigation apps or location-based marketing apps. Google Maps SDK is a common location SDK used by developers to build location-aware apps, but there are a few more including us here at Roam.ai.
If you want to learn more about what an SDK is, read our in-depth blog on the matter!