Terms

This topic describes the terms in SaaS application development, helping you get started easily.

Term	Description
SaaS Development Framework	SaaS Development Framework integrates with Tuya Developer Platform and microapp philosophy, as well as pre-built SaaS features, accessible publicly or in other ways. SaaS Development Framework is designed to shorten the lead time for connected deployments and substantially improve price performance. This framework offers a unique development mode: Integrated platform management + custom development = SaaS up and running. This mode helps you easily develop your own SaaS applications. The following figure shows a SaaS architecture developed on top of the SaaS Development Framework.
Main application	As a runtime container of microapps, the main application provides a variety of common capabilities, such as a unified system layout and global state management.
Microapp	Under the SaaS Development Framework, each feature of a SaaS system is separated and abstracted into a microapp. Microapps are flexible, modular units of features that can be fit together as needed to deliver a complete SaaS application anytime. For example, device management is a must-have feature in most SaaS applications. SaaS Development Framework implements device management as a single microapp, offering essential device management features. To use this microapp in different SaaS applications, you only need to select it on the Tuya Developer Platform and integrate it into the SaaS application configuration. Then, you are good to go. Microapp characteristics: Each feature can be done separately at the microapp level. Each microapp is developed and published independently. Microapps can be assembled on demand to deliver a complete SaaS application rapidly. Each microapp has its own permissions, menus, and dependencies. In general, application development refers specifically to microapp development.
App Key and Secret Key	App Key and Secret Key are the credentials for you to publish a microapp and get the SaaS configuration information. Your account of the Tuya Developer Platform identifies you as a microapp developer. Go to the Tuya Developer Platform and click View Development Credentials in the top right corner to get the App Key and Secret Key.
sdf-cli	A command-line tool for publishing a microapp. You can use sdf build and sdf publish to build and publish the microapp to the Tuya Developer Platform.