KNIME provides the KNIME SDK for development of new KNIME nodes. DataFlow provides a plugin for the KNIME SDK to support the development of custom DataFlow operators and their supporting KNIME nodes. Use the KNIME SDK with the DataFlow extensions when you want to develop new DataFlow operators and corresponding nodes in KNIME for the new operators.

KNIME SDK is a version of Eclipse with the KNIME SDK extensions preinstalled. Eclipse is a Java-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used for software development. Eclipse is a flexible and extensible environment. To learn more about Eclipse, visit http://eclipse.org. The installed KNIME SDK is similar to an Eclipse installation.