Table of Contents
What is a Software Development Kit?
A Software Development Kit (SDK) provides the software required to build your applications for a specific target platform such as for Windows Development, macOS apps, iOS, Android or Linux. In the SDK Manager page of RAD Studio we define the details of the SDK so that the IDE can find the information that it needs to locate and use the required software components in your development system. On the SDK Manager page, for each target platform that has an associated SDK, one SDK is the default SDK, which appears in bold type. Windows platforms do not have a default SDK.
How does RAD Studio work as a Windows Software Development Kit?
RAD Studio, C++ Builder is the easiest and fastest C and C++ IDE for building simple or professional applications on the Windows, iOS & Android operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files, and LSP support for code. C++ Builder comes with RAD Studio which is a full-featured and powerful rapid application development IDE. RAD Studio’s C++ Builder version comes with the award-winning VCL framework for high-performance native Windows apps and the powerful FireMonkey (FMX) framework for creating cross-platform apps from a single code base. There is a free C++ Builder Community Edition for students, beginners, and startups.
Here are the features of the C++ Builder 11 version;
- Provision apps for Windows 11
- Compile for Android API 30 (C++ 32bit at time of writing, Delphi 32 and 64bit)
- Compile for M-series (Apple Silicon) processors
- Design on high-DPI 4k+ screens
- View VCL Styles in design time+
- New & modernized VCL components
- Use enhanced remote desktop support to collaborate remotely
Here are some other features of the C++ Builder;
- Build Windows and iOS C++ Applications 10x Faster with Less Code.
- C++Builder Community Edition provides you with an integrated toolchain and professional-level developer tools from Day 1
- Featuring Clang-enhanced compiler, Dinkumware standard library, MSBuild/CMake/Ninja support, and popular libraries like Boost and Eigen.
- Develop Windows and iOS applications with a single codebase and responsive UI
- Enjoy the award-winning Visual Designer using the C++Builder VCL and FireMonkey frameworks for maximum productivity
- Built-in Debugging Tools that allow you to debug on any device
- Build database apps with local/embedded capabilities
- Hundreds of included components to enhance your app and reduce development cycles
- Direct access to InterBase, SQLite, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, DB2, SQL Anywhere, Advantage DB, Firebird, Access, Informix, MongoDB, and more.
- Licensed for use until your individual revenue from C++Builder applications or company revenue reaches $5,000 US or your development team expands to more than 5 developers
- RAD Studio, C++Builder professional editions comes with a lot of components and UI tools. You can prototype and implement your app’s visual design by making use of native widgets and platform-extending features, giving your customers an immersive, intuitive and familiar user experience.
- A productive developer is a happy developer. RAD Studio allows you to develop easily, one-click or few-click settings, and advanced options, allowing you more and deeper details of professional programming.
- A productive team makes happy management. C++Builder developers report they can deliver applications from concept to deployment 10x faster than with other tools – and getting to market that much faster means direct value to your company.
- One part of the vast set of useful libraries we provide is FireDAC: an elegant, highly performant database layer. It provides data connectivity to 17 key databases, and over a hundred other data sources from Twitter to SAP through add-ons.
- VCL and FMX frameworks include libraries built to make you more productive. For example, no C++ developer enjoys string manipulation using the STL’s std::string methods, or loading data in UTF-8 and converting to wide strings for Windows before modifying a string with the WinAPI. Let’s not even talk std::locale. RAD Studio provides powerful, useful classes for strings, conversions, file IO, streaming, JSON, REST, and anything else you need.
How to install RAD Studio, C++ Builder and Delphi Windows Software Development Kit?
RAD Studio Installer after your few steps of installation it installs Windows SDK automatically. If you have the latest RAD Studio installer it will install the latest Windows SDK for the RAD Studio. You can download the free C++ Builder Community Edition here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter.
Professional developers can use the Professional, Architect or Enterprise versions of C++ Builder. Please visit https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder.
See What’s New in RAD Studio 11
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Is Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit also known as MS Windows SDK?
Microsoft Windows SDK is a software development kit that contains include files, header files, libraries, docs, some other necessary binary files, samples and tools required to develop applications for Microsoft Windows and .NET Framework. This SDK specializes in developing applications for Windows 11, 10, 8 and some other previous versions of Windows .
Does C++ Builder and Delphi support Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit?
Embarcadero RAD Studio, C++ Builder 11.1 and Delphi IDE with CLANG C++ Compiler is the best all-round C++ IDE for Windows that supports Windows Software Development Kit. RAD Studio is a professional development IDE and compiler that has access to full SDK packages of different OS SDK’s like Windows SDK, iOS SDK, Android SDK and more.
What are the requirements of Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit?
According to the Official Microsoft SDK, The Windows SDK has the following minimum system requirements:
What are the supported operating systems of Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit?
- Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app development
- Windows 10 version 1507 or higher: Home, Professional, Education, and Enterprise (LTSB and S are not supported)
- Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2012 R2 (Command line only)
- Win32 app development
- Windows 10 version 1507 or higher
- Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (Command line only)
- Windows 8.1 (Note that Windows 8.1 will be end of life from January 23rd 2023)
- Windows 7 SP1 (this is theoretical since Microsoft declared Windows 7 to be end of life or EOL on January 14th 2020).
Not all tools are supported on earlier operating systems.
What are the hardware requirements of Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit?
- 1.6 GHz or faster processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 4 GB of available hard disk space
Are there any additional Windows SDK requirements?
Installation on Windows 8.1 requires an Update for Universal C Runtime in Windows. To install through Windows Update, make sure you install the latest recommended updates and patches from Microsoft Update before you install the Windows SDK.
How to create a new Windows 10 SDK entry in RAD Studio or C++ Builder?
You can use the Create a New Windows 10 SDK wizard to add a Windows 10 SDK to the SDK Manager that defines the paths to the Windows development tools installed on your development system. You can then use the Windows 10 SDK SDK to build your applications for the Windows target platform and submit them to the Windows Store.Note: The wizard shows location path examples for these fields.
Add a New SDK | Select the Windows 32-bit or Windows 64-bit platform. | Select Add New under Select an SDK version.
Setting Windows 10 Development Kit (SDK) page
On this page, you provide the paths to your Windows 10 SDK:
| Item | Description | Location Path Example |
|---|---|---|
Windows SDK Base path (SDK_BASE_PATH) | The path to the Windows 10 SDK folder.If you install the Windows SDK using the RAD Studio installer, this path is the location path example.If you selected a specific SDK version in Add a New SDK (a Windows 10 SDK version detected as installed in your system), RAD Studio fills this field for you. | C:Program Files (x86)Windows Kits10 |
Setting Windows 10 tools locations page
RAD Studio automatically detects the paths of the required tools based on the paths that you provide on the previous page. On this page you can customize the paths or specify the paths to tools that RAD Studio could not detect.
| Item | Description | Location Path Example |
|---|---|---|
| MakeAppx.exe location | The location of the MakeAppx.exe SDK tool | SDK_BASE_PATHbinx64makeappx.exe SDK_BASE_PATHbinx86makeappx.exe |
| SignTool.exe location | The location of the SignTool.exe SDK tool | SDK_BASE_PATHbinx64signtool.exe SDK_BASE_PATHbinx86signtool.exe |
| MakeCert.exe location | The location of the MakeCert.exe SDK tool | SDK_BASE_PATHbinx64makecert.exe SDK_BASE_PATHbinx86makecert.exe |
| Pvk2Pfx.exe location | The location of the Pvk2Pfx.exe SDK tool | SDK_BASE_PATHbinx64pvk2pfx.exe SDK_BASE_PATHbinx86pvk2pfx.exe |
C++ Builder CE is the easiest and fastest C & C++ IDE for developing simple or professional applications on different operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files and LSP support. C++ Builder comes with Rapid Application Development Studio, also knowns as RAD Studio, and C++ Builder is one of the most professional IDEs that work under RAD Studio.
You can download the free C++ Builder Community Edition here: https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder/starter. Professional developers can use the Professional, Architect or Enterprise versions of C++ Builder. Please visit https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder.