Setting Up the ASK SDK for Java

This guide describes how to use the ASK SDK v2 for Java in your project.

Prerequisites

  • An Apache Maven project.
  • A suitable Java development environment. The ASK SDK v2 for Java requires a Java 8 compatible runtime environment.

Adding the SDK to your project

To use the ASK SDK v2 for Java in your project, declare it as a dependency on your project's pom.xml file. You can choose to depend on the standard SDK distribution or individually select the components on which to depend. The standard SDK distribution is the easiest way to quickly get up and running with the SDK. It includes the core SDK and the following additional modules that provide commonly used functionality:

  • AWS Lambda support module, which allows skills to be run as part of an AWS Lambda function.
  • Servlet support module, which allows skills to be run as a servlet on a web server.
  • Amazon DynamoDB persistence adapter, which enables storing skill attributes to DynamoDB.
  • Apache HTTPClient API client plugin, which leverages the Apache HttpClient to make API calls to Alexa services.

Including all standard SDK components

From your Maven project's pom.xml add the following dependency to pull in the standard ASK SDK v2 for Java distribution:

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

Including individual SDK components

Select one or more of the following modules to include in your project by adding the corresponding entry to your pom.xml file. To minimize dependency closure, add only the modules that you need.

Core SDK (required)

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk-core</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

AWS Lambda support module

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk-lambda-support</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

Servlet support module

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk-servlet-support</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

Amazon DynamoDB persistence adapter

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk-dynamodb-persistence-adapter</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

Apache HTTPClient API client plugin

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.amazon.alexa</groupId>
  <artifactId>ask-sdk-apache-client</artifactId>
  <version>2.20.2</version>
</dependency>

Next Steps

Now that you've added the SDK to your project, you're ready to begin developing a skill. Proceed to the next section, Developing Your First Skill, for instructions on getting started with a basic skill.

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Last updated: Nov 28, 2023