Application development involves creating an application that you want to run on your target hardware, which is running a kernel image created using the OpenEmbedded build system. The Yocto Project provides an Application Development Toolkit (ADT) and stand-alone cross-development toolchains that facilitate quick development and integration of your application into its runtime environment. Using the ADT and toolchains, you can compile and link your application. You can then deploy your application to the actual hardware or to the QEMU emulator for testing. If you are familiar with the popular Eclipse™ IDE, you can use an Eclipse Yocto Plug-in to allow you to develop, deploy, and test your application all from within Eclipse.
While we strongly suggest using the ADT to develop your application, this option might not be best for you. If this is the case, you can still use pieces of the Yocto Project for your development process. However, because the process can vary greatly, this manual does not provide detail on the process.