The first thing you should know when you’re downloading the Android SDK is that it comes in a compressed form. If you don’t know how to extract such files, stop here and learn how. However, if you are already familiar with compressed files and want to download the Android SDK for your operating system, continue reading. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to have Java installed in order to use the SDK. You can even use the Java version that is included with the SDK.
The Android SDK download zip contains a variety of tools and files that you’ll need for developing Android apps. The command line tools, platform-tools, and tools folders can be found in separate folders. After you’ve downloaded the files, you should extract them into a convenient location and run them from there. If you’re not using an IDE, you can use the Android SDK tools to develop apps, but they are not as comprehensive as the IDE available on other platforms.
The toolset and virtual device manager that are included in the Android SDK download zip include the Android Platform Tools and the latest Android OS system image. To use these tools, you’ll need the newest version of Android OS and an extra Android Maven repository. Fortunately, the Android SDK download zip is easy to install, and you can follow the included instructions to install the toolset. If you’re unsure how to install the toolset, there are several online tutorials that will walk you through the process.
