Summary

In this chapter, we learned about software libraries and how we can use them in our applications. We explored the different types of libraries, including static libraries, shared libraries, and class libraries. We discussed the differences between libraries and frameworks and how to tell the difference. We also covered repositories and how to search for and download helpful software packages we can use.

In addition, we discussed the various licenses that may be attached to software libraries we use in our code, and how that may impact our ability to license and distribute our software in the future. We also looked at why it is worth the hassle of finding and downloading these libraries instead of writing the code ourselves.

Finally, we looked at the Java JAR and Python wheel file formats, and how to install those packages into our applications. We also listed some common software packages for both Java and Python that we may want to use ourselves.

In the example project for this chapter, we’ll look at how to download and install a custom package for our class project and how to integrate it into our code.

Review Quiz

Check your understanding of the new content introduced in this chapter below - this quiz is not graded and you can retake it as many times as you want.