Google Cloud SDK is a suite of libraries and tools for interacting withGoogle Cloud services. It includes command-line tools,language-specific client libraries, IDE extensions, and emulators that help youmanage resources and automate tasks on Google Cloud.

With Google Cloud SDK, you can:

• Manage Google Cloud resources: Use theGoogle Cloud CLI to control virtual machines, applications,databases, and other services from the command line.
• Integrate with Google Cloud APIs: Build applications usingCloud Client Libraries available inlanguages likeJava,C++,Python,Node.js,Ruby,Go,.NET,PHP, andRust.
• Develop and test locally: Accelerate development cycles with localemulators for services includingPub/Sub,Spanner,Bigtable, andFirestore in Datastore mode (Datastore).
• Work within your IDE: UseCloud Code extensions tointeract with Google Cloud services directly from Visual Studio Codeand IntelliJ.

Core components

The gcloud CLI

The gcloud CLI is the primary command-line tool forGoogle Cloud. Use it to perform administrative tasks from yourterminal.

For more information, see thegcloud CLI overview.

Cloud Client Libraries for API access

To programmatically interact with Google Cloud services from yourapplications, use theCloud Client Libraries.These libraries provide idiomatic access to Google Cloud APIs,simplifying integration and reducing boilerplate code.

Cloud Client Libraries are available for the following languages:

• C++
• .NET
• Go
• Java
• Node.js
• PHP
• Python
• Ruby
• Rust

SAP developers can also use theABAP SDK for Google Cloud,which provides a comprehensive set of client libraries for ABAP environments.

For a complete list and overview of available APIs, seeGoogle Cloud APIs.

Development and testing tools

IDE integration

Google Cloud SDK provides IDE extensions that bring Google Cloud servicesdirectly into your development workflow. With these extensions, you can build,deploy, and debug applications without leaving your favorite editor.

Cloud Code extensions are available for:

• Visual Studio Code
• IntelliJ

For more information, see theCloud Code documentation.

Emulators

Emulators let you develop and test your applications by simulating thebehavior of Google Cloud services. Use emulators to help you savecosts, avoid impacting production services, and iterate faster duringdevelopment.

The Google Cloud SDK provides emulators for several services, including:

• Bigtable:Test applications using a local NoSQL wide-column database.
• Datastore:Develop against a local NoSQL document database.
• Firestore: Build and test mobile,web, and server applications with a local document database.
• Pub/Sub: Validate asynchronousmessaging workflows locally.
• Spanner: Test applications requiringa globally-distributed relational database locally.

These emulators provide a high-fidelity environment for debugging issues andverifying your application's behavior before deployment.

For more details on using these tools, seeUsing Google Cloud SDK emulators.

Work with other frameworks and tools

The Google Cloud SDK is designed to work with a wide range of popularframeworks and tools, helping you streamline application development anddeployment on Google Cloud. While not part of the core SDK components,these tools often use the gcloud CLI or Cloud Client Librariesfor seamless interaction with Google Cloud services.

Examples include:

• Spring Framework: Utilize Google Cloudintegrations for Spring Boot applications.
• Kubernetes: Manage deployments onGoogle Kubernetes Engine (GKE) usingkubectl, often installed alongside thegcloud CLI.
• Google Cloud's daptic to Prometheus:Collect and analyze metrics from your applications.
• Terraform: Provision and manage yourGoogle Cloud infrastructure as code using the Google Cloud provider.

What's next

• Install thegcloud CLI and learn usefulcommands with thegcloud CLI cheat sheet.