What is difference between platform tools and SDK tools in Android development?
The Android SDK can be broken down into several components. These include:
- Platform-tools
- Build-tools
- SDK-tools
- The Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
- Android Emulator
The most important parts of this package are in the SDK-tools. You will need these tools regardless of which version of Android you are targeting. These are what will actually create the APK – turning your code into an Android app that can be launched on a phone. These include a number of build tools, debugging tools, and image tools.
The Build tools were once categorized under the same heading as the Platform tools but have since been decoupled so that they can be updated separately. As the name suggests, these are also needed to build your Android apps (generating the final APK).
The Platform tools are more specifically suited to the version of Android that you want to target. Generally, it is best to install the latest Platform tools, after first installation though, you need to keep your Platform-tools constantly updated.
The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a program that allows you to communicate with any Android device. It relies on Platform-tools in order to understand the Android version that is being used.
The Android emulator is what lets you test and monitor apps on a PC, without necessarily needing to have a device available.
For more info here
SDK Tools is a downloadable component for the Android SDK. It includes the complete set of development and debugging tools for the Android SDK like emulator, sdcard, sqlite and apk builder etc.. Where as Platform-tools are used to support the features for the current android platform including adb which is acting like a bridge to communicate with emulator or device.