# What is covered in the Amazon SDKs and Tools Reference Guide
<a name="overview"></a>

Many SDKs and tools share some common functionality, either through shared design specifications or through a shared library. 

This guide includes information regarding:
+ [Globally configuring Amazon SDKs and tools](creds-config-files.md) – How to use the shared `config` and `credentials` files or environment variables to configure your Amazon SDKs and tools. 
+ [Authentication and access using Amazon SDKs and tools](access.md) – Establish how your code or tool authenticates with Amazon when you develop with Amazon Web Services services.
+ [Amazon SDKs and tools settings reference](settings-reference.md) – Reference for all standardized settings available for authentication and configuration.
+ [Amazon Common Runtime (CRT) libraries](common-runtime.md) – Overview of the shared Amazon Common Runtime (CRT) libraries that are available to almost all SDKs.
+ [Amazon SDKs and Tools maintenance policy](maint-policy.md) covers the maintenance policy and versioning for Amazon Software Development Kits (SDKs) and tools, including Mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) SDKs, and their underlying dependencies.

This Amazon SDKs and Tools Reference Guide is intended to be a base of information that is applicable to multiple SDKs and tools. The specific guide for the SDK or tool that you are using should be used in addition to any information presented here. The following are the SDK and tools which have relevant sections of material in this guide: 


| If you are using: | This guide's relevant sections for you are: | 
| --- | --- | 
| [\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.amazonaws.cn/en_us/sdkref/latest/guide/overview.html) | [Amazon SDKs and Tools maintenance policy](maint-policy.md) | 
| [\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.amazonaws.cn/en_us/sdkref/latest/guide/overview.html) | [Globally configuring Amazon SDKs and tools](creds-config-files.md) [Authentication and access using Amazon SDKs and tools](access.md) [Amazon SDKs and Tools maintenance policy](maint-policy.md)  | 
| [\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.amazonaws.cn/en_us/sdkref/latest/guide/overview.html) | [Globally configuring Amazon SDKs and tools](creds-config-files.md) [Authentication and access using Amazon SDKs and tools](access.md) [Amazon SDKs and tools settings reference](settings-reference.md) [Amazon Common Runtime (CRT) libraries](common-runtime.md) [Amazon SDKs and Tools maintenance policy](maint-policy.md) [Amazon SDKs and Tools version lifecycle](version-support-matrix.md) | 
+ For an overview of tools that can help you develop applications on Amazon, see [Tools to Build on Amazon](https://www.amazonaws.cn/tools/). 
+ For information on support, see the [Amazon Knowledge Center](https://www.amazonaws.cn/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/). 
+ For Amazon terminology, see the [Amazon glossary](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/glossary/latest/reference/glos-chap.html) in the *Amazon Web Services Glossary Reference*.