One of the best things about developing an application using Python today is the wealth of resources available at your fingertips. You don’t have to develop your application from scratch and can instead rely on existing modules, SDKs, components, and snippets to speed the development project up.
SDKs in particular are handy for when you want to integrate features and services into your app. There are plenty of SDKs to be integrated too. Aside from choosing the right ones to use, here are the 5 tips you need to know about using SDKs to integrate features.
Plan Ahead
Never jump to integrating an SDK immediately, especially if you have not done a thorough review of the features offered. You want to be extra certain that the SDK you integrate serves a valuable function.
You also want to do a cost-benefit analysis; while most SDKs are easy to integrate, you still have to check if integrating the SDK is worth the benefits it brings.
Planning ahead is the key here. While you are at it, make sure the SDK also plays well with the other features and modules you already have in the app. Ensuring cross-compatibility with user devices and the production environment in general is also something you want to do before deciding to move forward with the integration.
Check the Logs
When you integrate an SDK, you are essentially relying on the developers behind that service or feature to maintain the feature for you. The longevity of your application now relies on one extra external factor. Once again, this is not a decision you want to take lightly.
What you can do is work with reputable service and solution providers. If you want to add barcode scanning to your ERP app, for instance, you have reputable names like Scandit offering tried and tested barcode scanning SDK.
Check the development logs and take a look at future development roadmaps if the document is available. The two resources will help you understand the developer behind the SDK better; they also allow you to align your development with upcoming features that will be added to the SDK.
Learn and Communicate
The best SDKs come with extensive development documents; they are there for a reason. Take the time to learn about the development resources thoroughly before starting the integration process.
You’ll be surprised by the features and capabilities you can find from a seemingly simple SDK. Studying the development resources also helps you prepare better for the development.
As an added step, don’t hesitate to communicate with the developers directly. More importantly, make sure you are part of the developers’ community for the SDK. An online forum or discussion board is a goldmine of tips, solutions, and even hacks, and all of them make the SDK you are integrating that much more valuable for your application.
One last tip to remember when integrating SDKs: make them as flexible as possible. Avoid hardcoding things like parameters and strings and stick with best practices to make your app easier to maintain and update.
Combined with the other three tips we discussed in this article, you will be able to add great features without developing everything yourself.