This software is a companion tool designed to aid usage of Android SDK.
While most Android applications run in the Dalvik virtual machine, the NDK allows developers to implement portions of their applications using native-code languages like C and C++. This provides benefits to applications that require high CPU usage, low memory allocation, and intensive operations like signal processing and physics simulation.
This NDK release supports the ARMv5TE machine instruction set and provides stable headers for libc, libm, JNI interface, and other libraries. It also includes documentation, samples, and tutorials to help developers navigate the tool.
However, developers must note that the use of native code does not always translate to an automatic performance increase, and hence, application complexity does increase. Careful consideration of the benefits and drawbacks must be made by developers before using the NDK.
Remember, the NDK is not a tool for developing native-only applications, and Android's primary runtime remains the Dalvik virtual machine. Overall, the NDK is beneficial for developers who want to reuse existing C/C++ code and optimize certain portions of their applications for better performance.
Version 1.5 Release 1: N/A