How to Choose the Right Software Development Kit

Whether you are creating a web page or a program, there are so many different Software Development Kits (SDKs) and Integrated Development Environments (IDE's) out there, it can make your head spin. It seems that every language or project you can develop in has more software choices than you can count on both hands. This brings about the daunting task of choosing the right one for you. There are several different factors that can play into your decision. There are several different things that you need to consider when making your decision. Price is a driving factor for many of us. This can not be your sole driving force though. Here is a look at some things that you need to consider when choosing your SDK or IDE.

The first thing that you will need to decide is whether to use an SDK or an IDE. While these two software suites are very similar in functions and uses, there are some differences. The main thing that separates these two programs is pre-packaged libraries. An SDK is a lot more user friendly. These are for the more novice of programmers. They will have methods and techniques that will auto generate a lot of the code. This will allow beginners to "get their feet wet" in a new language or create a simple program on their own. These are most evident in programs like Visual Studio or DreamWeaver. These are more visually guided kits that allow you to add most of your functions, design, and elements by a click and drag method. For the more advanced developer out there, you may be in search of an IDE. These may force you to create much more of the necessary code, but you will have control over every aspect of the creation and function of your project. An IDE also allows you to invoke the more difficult functions and capabilities of the language you are working in. The decision to choose an IDE over an SDK (or vice versa) really boils down to your personal comfort and what your project needs. A combination of the two may also work for you. If you are not as skilled in making the Graphical User Interface (GUI), but you still need to power and functionality of an IDE, you may want to create the base of your project in an SDK and get to the "meat and potatoes" of it in an IDE. Many of these software suites will work together. Even if they do not, you can always copy and paste the source code from one to the other.

Now that you know the two major categories for the development software, you can compare the different options according to four major categories. The first of these is comfort. This is the most important factor in choosing the right kit for your project. If you are not comfortable with your development environment, you will never reach the project's full potential. There are so many programs and websites out there that could have been much better than they were, but you can tell that the developer got tired. The fact that the developer was not comfortable with the software severely limited the potential of the project. Being comfortable with an environment will not only allow you to put more into your program, but you will also know how to make it perfect. If you are not comfortable, you will often have to settle for a sub-par program. You will not know how to make the project work correctly and may end up making things more difficult and error prone than they really need to be. A designer that is comfortable with the environment can create a faster, more proficient, and more stable end product. This will also lessen your work load. By knowing the environment, you can easily make adjustments, solve problems, find bugs, and create a more solid base for your project. This will make things flow as they should and give you more time to focus on areas that are more difficult, rather than having to struggle through every small step.

The second thing that you will need consider is the SDK's design. This really plays into the comfort factor and can seriously hinder you in your project. If you are using a new environment, you may want to "play" with it extensively. This will allow you to know where everything is and how to find exactly what you are looking for when you are looking for it. This is one of the big advantages to Visual Studio. They are all designed in a very similar manner. This allows you to switch from language to language with little to no change in design. It is important to find SDK's or IDE's that are setup in a similar manner. If you work in several different platforms or languages, it is a must. This will save you hours of searching and re-acclimating yourself to each platform. One useful feature of many of these suites is the ability to change the design and layout to suite you and your desires. This will allow you to set up each environment to mirror the others. By having everything right where you want it, you will not only increase comfort, but you will speed up your work. You can also increase your proficiency through the design. If you have to fumble your way through the project trying to find things, you will soon get bored and frustrated causing your project to suffer.

Functionality is another thing that you need to look at when choosing the right environment. If you need a suite that has GUI creation functions and you choose notepad to write your code, you may be in trouble. There are many different functions out there. Some of these functions are must haves, while some are rather nots. It is important that you find the kit that has the right tools for you. It does not matter if others complain about the lack of certain features if you never use those features. You need to find the kit that is right for you, not them. If you need an SDK that will fill in the holes of your code or insert the right snippets for you, then use an SDK. If you want, or need, complete control over every aspect and don't want any generated code, use an IDE. This really goes for every feature included in the software. You know what you need for each project. You need to find the suite that is right for you and what you need to do. If you are creating database interactivity in your project, you will need a suite that can handle this. For this reason, you need to get familiar with two or three different suites to find the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Once you know this, you can easily figure out which environment would be best for each project you work on.

The final thing to look at is cost. I mention this one last, because it really needs to be in the back of your mind. Cost is an easy thing to get around. If you have to have a certain suite to make your project run right, then cost should not matter. If you are like me (and most everyone right now) and can not afford the right software, look for free trials. There are other ways too. If you can use an older version of the software, you may be able to get it for free or at least a lot cheaper. If this will not work, or not get the price to your range, try some file sharing sites. There are many sites out there that will work with you on a time share basis. This is known as cloud computing. There are some hosts out there that will allow you to work with the software and only pay a fraction of the price, if anything at all. There are ways around cost, but quality can not be sacrificed.

No matter what it is that you are working on, there is a perfect software suite for your project. A little bit of research is all you need to find it. One thing that you can do in your spare time is play with some of the different suites. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the different SDK's and IDE's. By being familiar with several of them, you can easily choose which one would be right for each project. You will also build on your experience and at least sound like you know what you are talking about when you quote someone.