API 和 SDK 的区别 [英] Difference between an API and SDK
问题描述
我试图向非开发人员解释 API 和 SDK 之间的区别.我需要解释为什么商业指纹软件供应商可能不会提供 SDK，尽管他们肯定已经使用过.
I am trying to explain to a non-developer the difference between an API an SDK. I need to explain why a commercial fingerprint software vendor will likely not provide an SDK, although they may certainly have used one.
设备供应商和软件供应商都可以而且应该公开定义良好的 API.此 API 允许其他软件程序(写入)与供应商自己的软件组件或硬件设备进行互操作.
Both device vendors and software vendors can and should expose a well-defined API. This API allows other software programs to (be written to) inter-operate with the vendor’s own software components or hardware devices.
如果有人有更多的想法来清楚地解释这一点，我将非常感谢这些建议.我想强调的是，目标是向不懂开发者行话的非程序员解释这些概念.
If someone has more ideas to explain this clearly, I would very much appreciate the suggestions. I want to emphasize that the goal is to explain the concepts to a non-programmer who does not know developer lingo.
具体来说，在指纹传感器与软件进行注册/验证的背景下，我试图解释它:
Specifically, in the context of a fingerprint sensor versus software to do enrollment/verification, here is how I attempted to explain it:
如果我是指纹设备/传感器制造商并且不在编写软件的业务，我可以更好地推销我的产品是:
If I am a fingerprint device/sensor manufacturer and not in the business of writing software, the ways I could better market my product are:
- 确保我的设备驱动程序可安装在各种操作系统上
- 为软件开发人员定义并提供 API 以编写程序(例如，用于注册、验证)以与我的对话"或使用我的设备
- 开发并提供 SDK(比 API 更进一步)，使软件开发人员能够更轻松、更快速地编写有效的程序用我的设备.SDK 可能提供辅助代码库，参考应用程序、文档等
推荐答案
小菜一碟:
- API 是一个接口.这就像电话系统的规格或您家中的电线一样.只要知道如何接口，任何东西*都可以使用它.您甚至可以购买现成的软件来使用特定的 API，就像您可以购买现成的电话设备或插入家中交流线路的设备一样.
- SDK 是实现工具.它就像一个套件，可让**您构建定制的东西以连接到电话系统或电线.
- an API is an interface. It's like the specification of the telephone system or the electrical wiring in your house. Anything* can use it as long as it knows how to interface. You can even buy off-the-shelf software to use a particular API, just as you can buy off the shelf telephone equipment or devices that plug into the AC wiring in your house.
- an SDK is implementation tooling. It's like a kit that allows** you to build something custom to hook up to the telephone system or electrical wiring.
*任何东西都可以使用 API.某些 API 具有要求许可证密钥、身份验证等的安全规定，这可能会禁止在特定情况下完全使用 API，但这只是因为特定的身份验证/授权步骤失败.任何提供正确凭据(如果需要)的软件都可以使用该 API.
*Anything can use an API. Some APIs have security provisions to require license keys, authentication, etc. which may prohibit complete use of the API in particular instances, but that's only because particular authentication/authorization steps fail. Any software that presents the right credentials (if required) can use the API.
**从技术上讲，如果 API 文档齐全，则您不需要 SDK 来构建自己的软件即可使用该 API.但是拥有 SDK 通常会让这个过程变得更容易.
**Technically, if an API is well-documented, you don't need an SDK to build your own software to use the API. But having an SDK generally makes the process much easier.
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