> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://crsdk.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Platform overview

> A map of the developer stack — HTTP server, client SDKs, and MCP tooling.

The Sony Developer Platform (unofficial) consists of the **Alpha Camera REST API** and supporting tooling, including the CLI, API playground, and documentation MCP servers. Most developers should use the community-developed REST API with one of the supported Client SDKs for the most modern developer experience; Sony's official native SDKs are best if you need direct C++ / C# integration to acheive best device performance.

## The stack

| Layer                     | What it is                                                                                                                                                         | When to use it                                                                                          |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Alpha Camera REST API** | A local HTTP and SSE server that wraps the native C++ SDK. Distributed via npm (`@alpha-sdk/api`) with the `camera-server` CLI and a Node.js `ServerManager` class | Cross-platform apps; multi-client setups; embedding the server in a Node / Electron / Tauri app         |
| **Language client SDKs**  | REST clients in TypeScript, Python, and Swift                                                                                                                      | Modern UI-centric app frameworks (React, SwiftUI) or headless server applications (Express.js, FastAPI) |
| **MCP Servers**           | AI-assistant–consumable indexes of the SDK and Help Guide                                                                                                          | Building with Claude, Cursor, or other AI assisted development tools                                    |

## Picking a layer

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="I'm shipping a TypeScript / Node / Electron app" href="/sdk/typescript">
    Install the [server package](/web-api/server) (`@alpha-sdk/api`) and pair it with `@alpha-sdk/client`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I'm shipping a Python app or Jupyter notebook" href="/sdk/python">
    `pip install alpha-sdk-client` — sync + async clients with Pydantic models.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I'm shipping an iOS or macOS app" href="/sdk/swift">
    Add `AlphaSDK` via SwiftPM — native async/await, zero third-party deps.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I'm using a language without an SDK" href="/web-api/overview">
    Call the **Alpha Camera REST API** directly or generate an SDK yourself from the OpenAPI contract.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I'm building with AI assistants" href="/mcp-server/overview">
    Configure the **MCP Servers** with your coding agent for SDK-accurate code and spec lookups.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Native Sony SDKs

If you explicitly need direct native integration rather than the REST API, Sony also provides:

* [Camera Remote SDK](/sdk/camera-remote-sdk) — official C++ / C# camera control SDK
* [Camera Remote Command SDK](/sdk/camera-remote-command-sdk) — lower-level PTP command SDK for specialized workflows

## Connection modes

Whichever SDK/API you use, the underlying camera connection uses one of three modes:

| Mode              | Capabilities                                                                                    |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `remote`          | Full shooting + settings control. Auto-transfers captured images to the host PC.                |
| `remote-transfer` | Full shooting + settings control. Explicit SD card file access (pull specific files on demand). |
| `contents`        | SD card browsing only — no shooting or settings.                                                |

See [Connection](/web-api/connection) for the full workflow.

## Priority key requirement

Before the camera accepts any remote command, its **priority key** must be set to `pc-remote`. Sending a shoot or property change before this will silently fail on most bodies. Set it right after connecting:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X PUT http://localhost:8080/api/cameras/{id}/priority-key \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"setting": "pc-remote"}'
```

All three language clients expose this as `setPriorityKey({ cameraId, setting: "pc-remote" })` — call it right after `cameras.connect(...)` succeeds.