We cannot deny that Android is the most popular operating system for mobile devices. Recently, Google announced that there are more than 2 Billion monthly active Android users. With this popularity, it means that the demand for Android apps is very high. Entrepreneurs are looking for ways to reach out to their customers who own Android smartphones and one of the ways is by coming up with apps. This may sound as good news to Android programmers.
If you are planning to be an Android developer, you can be sure that your skills will be very utilized in the market. The biggest questions that you may ask yourself are: Which programming languages should I use to develop Android apps? What are the tools needed for Android programming? The answers to these question are in this article. Here are the top 3 programming languages for Android app development and the tools that are needed.
Best Programming Languages For Android App Development
1. Java
Android OS is based on Java. This automatically makes Java the most popular programming language for Android app development. There are several reasons why most programmers prefer Java for Android programming. Java core is easy to learn hence attracts the attention of newbies who desire to learn Android programming.
Even as a language for Android app development, Java is still an object-oriented language. It supports many APIs and it can run smoothly on all platforms. For you to use Java programming language for Android app development, you will need to choose either Android Studio or Eclipse IDE.
Android Studio is a tool built on JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA software and designed specifically for Android development. Eclipse, on the other hand, was first ever IDE for Android development and still being used by many developers. It wasn’t specifically designed for developing android apps as it can be used for multiple programming languages and for multipurpose.
Also, Read: 5 Best Courses For Aspiring Java Programmers
2. Kotlin
In 2017, Google announced that Kotlin was going to be an official programming language for Android. From the look of things, Kotlin overrides the weaknesses of Java. This can be seen in many different ways. For instance, Kotlin is very concise as it uses a comparatively smaller boilerplate code. Kotlin is also safer than Java as it is devoid of the error classes. This simply means that with Kotlin, you won’t encounter common errors such as Null Pointer Exception. The safety feature is enhanced by the fact that Kotlin codes are easily readable. Someone can easily go through the code and detect an error.
Java Vs Kotlin
To be honest, Java is a great programming language but it isn’t specifically designed for Android development. Java can be used for developing any kind of software including system software, enterprise applications, and other platform apps. If you are ready to spend a lot of time learning a language that can make you a multi-platform developer, Java is definitely a winner.
On the other hand, we have Kotlin, a language designed by Jetbrain (The developer of Android Studio) specifically to develop android apps with a simple syntax. Due to simplicity and readability, Kotlin can improve the productivity. You can do more work in less time since you won’t spend much of your time correcting errors and bugs. If I were to choose between Java vs Kotlin as a beginner for android development, I’ll go for kotlin.
Also, Read: Why Kotlin is Better than Java for Android App Development?
3. Javascript (with HTML5 + CSS3)
This may sound as a surprise but believe it or not, you can develop Android apps using HTML5, Javascript, and CSS3. This is a great option for web developers who want to become Android developers. Android apps built by Javascript are portable and scalable. They are compatible with any OS including iOS and Windows. However, the apps are usually light-weighted and limited in features.
Before you develop an Android app using HTML5 and Javascript, you need to choose an appropriate framework. Frameworks contain codes that are intended to be used for specific operating systems. Some of these frameworks include Apache Cordova, PhoneGap, and React Native.
Apache Cordova is more of a command line interface that runs on Node.js runtime. To use Cordova for android app development, you’ll have to be good at command line interface. PhoneGap is a tool designed by Adobe Inc for developing hybrid multi-platform apps and it runs on Cordova’s engine. However, it comes with a free development of only one project at a time. For more projects, you’ll have to opt for a paid program. PhoneGap is basically Cordova with some graphical app management options by Adobe. React native is a framework by Facebook designed to develop hybrid apps using its ReactJS javascript framework.
If you are a MEAN stack developer then it’s very easy for you to build Android apps using your Javascript frameworks such as AngularJS, VueJS or ReactJS.
Also, Read: Best JavaScript Frameworks for Web and App Development
Conclusion
If you are planning to be an Android developer, any of these three programming languages will serve you well. Java is a choice for more advanced and hardcore programmers where kotlin should be a choice for beginners who only want to be Android Developers. The third option is a bonus because of the universal applicability of HTML, Javascript, and CSS for web development.
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