Many times we are not interested in what really happens when we run an application on our Android device, but it is
worth
knowing
Android NDK
, if only for a slight idea. In this article we will try to explain
what Android NDK is for
.
When we talk about programming for Android, we usually refer to the Java language, which is the one that is generally used to develop applications in the Android operating system. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to other languages, either for efficiency or for any other reason and this is where NDK comes into play.
What is Android NDK for?
Android NDK is a group of tools that allows us to implement native code in our Android applications.
In other words, with NDK we can use code written in C or C ++ in our applications. This allows us to reuse releases that were originally created in C or C ++ in our apps and thus
reduce development times
.
Where to download Android NDK?
The use of Android NDK libraries is quite standardized in Android development environments, so we can install them directly from
Android Studio (SDK Tools)
or from
this link
.
Guide to use and references of Android NDK.
We can not write a complete tutorial on how to use the NDK libraries on Android (it would be too long), but we can recommend a visit to the
official documentation
. In this documentation you will not only find the references of NDK but also include examples of use
(in perfect English)
.
To conclude, clarify that NDK is used mainly in projects that need a high performance and with an exhaustive use of the CPU. Complex engines of videogame logic or that need to perform a large number of operations in milliseconds, are the main
fields of application of NDK
.
The use of native code is also one of the protection methods of some game developers, either to prevent the use of tricks or to avoid crackers. When using native code, it is compiled in a file with a .so extension that can not be decompiled, although it can be debugged and plotted, so it is not a complete protection solution on its own.