Microsoft Windows SDK

Microsoft Windows SDK, Platform SDK, and .NET Framework SDK are software development kits from Microsoft that contain header files, libraries, samples, documentation and tools required to develop applications for Microsoft Windows and .NET Framework.

The difference between these three SDKs lies in their area of specialization: Platform SDK specializes in developing applications for Windows 2000, XP and Windows Server 2003. .NET Framework SDK is dedicated to developing applications for .NET Framework 1.1 and .NET Framework 2.0. Windows SDK is the successor of the two and supports developing applications for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.0, .NET Framework 3.5, and .NET Framework 4.0. It contains extensive documentation and around 800 samples.

Obtaining the SDK

Windows SDKs are available free on the Microsoft Download Center, in ISO and Web-download formats. Users can install the entire SDK or choose to install only some SDK components, such as code samples demonstrating only native development or only the tools for managed development. Some Windows SDK components are also included in Microsoft Visual Studio.The latest Windows SDK is the Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4, released May 21, 2010.This SDK release supports Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP SP3, and Windows Server 2003 R2 and is...
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