Today’s programming languages provide a lot to get enthused about. The ecology, community, and availability of programmers are all critical variables to consider in today’s complex business models. While the list of popular Android app development programming languages changes over time, organizations are looking to develop a new product or update an existing one. Also, they want to future-proof their ideas using a well-supported programming language, supported by skilled IT personnel and versatile enough to do the job today – and in the future.
To summarize, mobile applications are an essential part of our everyday life. They may connect people, gather information, or have fun! While developing a mobile app is similarly enjoyable, it needs more direction, particularly in selecting the appropriate programming language. As a result, this blog focuses on the top programming languages needed for Android App Development.
Moreover, with various mobile programming languages to select from, you must examine a variety of criteria, including benefits and negatives, as well as the language’s popularity, before deciding on the most popular mobile app. After selecting the best mobile programming language and developing a business app, you enter the marketing stage, which necessitates a suite of top marketing applications to scale up your development efforts. So, now without further ado, let’s directly jump into the list of android app development programming languages but before that let’s understand the types of mobile applications.
Types of Mobile Applications
Native Apps
Native apps are those that are written in a language that the device OS vendor natively supports. The mobile app code has complete access to the underlying platform APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), while the OS supplies the UI component library. This amazing and beneficial build process transforms this code into an executable program using the OS’s native bytecode.
Cross-Platform Apps
Cross-platform mobile apps are created in a single language and can operate on all platforms. The language in which you create your cross-platform mobile app may not be the native language of the underlying device OS. This indicates that the code may be contained, bridged, or cross-compiled to bytecode, which may be executed directly on the OS with the assistance of some support libraries.
Mobile Web Apps
Mobile web applications are a lightweight paradigm that allows you to view a URL in your browser while still having the appearance and feel of a standard mobile app. Application websites are not supplied as device-installed apps, but they are a key paradigm to consider when developing a mobile device. To construct mobile web applications, mobile app developers can employ one of two website development paradigms:
Progressive Web Programming
Progressive web programming develops advanced web applications, which are conventional web pages that seem like standard mobile apps when accessed via a mobile device’s browser. They provide a nearly app-like experience. Progressive web applications can add a link to the home screen and run offline while not connected to the internet by caching the content locally on the device.
Responsive Web Programming
Responsive web programming is a type of website programming in which the website layout arranges itself to fit the device’s form factor. As a result, rather than needing to scroll horizontally, the information “snaps” into position to match the device’s width. Users can also access these websites from a desktop computer.
Top 10 Android App Development Programming Languages
Corona
Corona is a software development kit that android app developers use to create Lua-based Android applications. It has two modes of operation: Corona Simulator and Corona Native. The Corona Simulator is used to create apps directly. In contrast, Corona Native connects Lua code with an Android Studio project to create an app with native capabilities.
While Lua has several limitations compared to Java, it is also significantly simpler and has a lower learning curve. There are also built-in monetization capabilities and a variety of assets and plugins that enhance the app creation experience. According to research, I’ve found that mobile app developers mostly use Corona to create visual apps and games, but it is not restricted to that.
Dart
Ignoring Dart as a programming language today is like ignoring the gorilla in the room (because the elephant is java). Dart is an open-source programming language that underpins the Flutter framework, which is gaining popularity due to its ability to produce beautiful and performant web, desktop, and mobile apps in less time.
Dart’s main selling point is that Google created it as a client-optimized language for short programs on any platform. Dart focuses on making UI development easier for developers by including capabilities like hot-reload, allowing developers to observe changes in real-time while working on the project. Dart is also noted for its speed; it builds to ARM and x64.
Objective C
Objective-C is a general-purpose language created on top of the Programming languages by incorporating elements from the Small Talk programming language, transforming it into an object-oriented language. It is largely utilized in the development of the iOS and Mac OS X operating systems, as well as their associated apps.
Many individuals wonder if Objective C is more difficult than C++. So, syntax is the most significant distinction. You can accomplish roughly the same things in either language. Still, the C++ syntax is clearer, although some Objective-C capabilities, such as dynamic dispatch, make specific tasks (such as GUI design) easier.
Apple’s initial approved language for creating iOS mobile apps was Objective-C. It is an object-oriented (OO) language with syntax derived from C and OO-ness derived from Smalltalk. One of the most prominent critics against the language is that its syntax is clumsy and lengthy, and the square brackets are difficult to debug. However, it has become a solid and mature language after several years of widespread use. Since Apple launched Swift, the popularity of Objective-C for new iOS mobile programming has fallen significantly.
Java
Since the introduction of the Android platform in 2008, Java has been the default language for developing Android apps. Java is an object-oriented programming language that Sun Microsystems created in 1995. (now, it is owned by Oracle). As a pure object-oriented language (as opposed to C++), it was quite popular and was immediately adopted by the Android platform.
Java compiles to “bytecode,” which is interpreted at runtime by the operating system’s underlying Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The mobile apps are written in Java and run against the Android SDK. Java’s detractors claim that it requires a lot of “boilerplate” code to do a simple operation and that concepts such as exceptions are difficult to grasp. So far, this is the most popular language for developing Android apps. Nonetheless, according to Google, Kotlin is currently the favored language for Android development.
Kotlin
Kotlin, a statically typed programming language designed by JetBrains, is one of the programming languages utilized by major firms for Android app development. It features a simple coding syntax, making it one of the most popular options for Android app developers. It runs on the Java Virtual Machine and may be compiled into JavaScript or native code (JVM).
There are several advantages of using Kotlin over other languages. It’s a contemporary language with less dated baggage. Thus there are fewer idiosyncrasies and perplexing features. Because it is a compiled language, it will be easy to scale your software to different platforms or devices, including mobile apps developed in Java.
It also contains some interesting features like null safety and lambdas. When your software encounters null pointer exceptions, null safety stops it from crashing or throwing errors. Lambdas simplify coding by allowing you to construct methods with just one line of code. That can be done anywhere in your program without disrupting the logic flow.
Furthermore, it is more compact and type-safe than Java. Kotlin is an excellent programming language for creating Android apps. However, there are certain drawbacks to utilizing Kotlin as your primary programming language.
For starters, Kotlin is tough to debug and has compatibility difficulties with earlier versions of Android and the tools used to create Android apps. Some claim there is a shortage of documentation on how certain functionalities work.
Another disadvantage is that Kotlin is relatively new and thus may only be supported on new devices for a limited time. It’s also a developing language that requires more time to grow, so you’ll need to keep up with the changes as they occur.
HTML5 and Apache Cordova
Apache Cordova began as an Adobe project named PhoneGap. Apache Cordova allows you to run HTML and JavaScript (JS) code in a captive browser instance known as the Webview. You can write code once and run it everywhere by utilizing a webview. One objection against the cross-platform method is that the response time might be slow due to the JavaScript code running in the webview.
The HTML code is included with the app and installed on the mobile device. This enables using a broad range of online UI frameworks such as Jquery, React JS, Bootstrap, Angular JS, or Vue. Other layered frameworks, such as Ionic that operate on Cordova are also available. Aside from UI frameworks, plugins allow JS code to access native device features like the camera, contact list, or location. A wide ecosystem of third-party plugins is available.
Visual Studio Code and Eclipse are two major IDEs in the developer community. Ionic, a wrapper on top of Apache Cordova and presently uses AngularJS, also has its IDE available for purchase, called Ionic Creator.
C# and Xamarin
Microsoft’s C# a computer language is an object-oriented programming language. The Xamarin framework (bought by Microsoft) enables C# development against the .NET framework. Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code is a popular IDE for developing C# and Xamarin code. The C# code is cross-compiled and runs on the Android device seamlessly. This enables zero-lag execution, which is extremely close to native development. There are extensions known as Xamarin. Mobile app developers may use Xamarin and iOS Android to access iOS and Android native features from C#.
Dark
“Dark is a popular Java Virtual Machine programming language” (JVM). It was created at Facebook as an experimental tool for doing software performance studies. It was created to work with the open-source Datalog large data analysis language, although Dark is not confined to this use case.” What is Dark, and why is it important?
Dark is a fantastic piece of game creation software. As a result, creating in the Dark programming language (DARK) is suitable for rapid prototyping and game development. It is simple to use, has a short learning curve, and is intended for rapid development.
The nicest aspect of DARK is that it allows developers to work with various technologies, including HTML5, JavaScript, and C++. This enables the creation of everything from basic apps to complicated games.
While Dark is one of the newest languages for developing Android apps, it has great potential. It’s built with Kotlin, one of the most popular Android app development programming languages for Android app developers. The disadvantage of utilizing Dark is that it is only accessible in Android Studio 3.0 and above. This implies that if you aren’t using this version or above, Dark will be unavailable to you.
Furthermore, while there are numerous advantages to utilizing Dark, it lacks some of the functionality that other languages provide. For example, it lacks libraries. Thus if you want a graphics or networking library, dark may not be suitable for you at this time. However, they are minor drawbacks in comparison to the pros of Dark.
Python
Indeed, Android does not enable native Python programming because mobile app developers use Python to create Android apps. This may be accomplished using various tools that transform Python programs into Android Packages that can be executed on Android devices.
Kivy, an open-source Python library for creating mobile applications, is an example of this. It promotes Android and fosters speedy app development. However, because Kivy isn’t natively supported, there will be no native benefits for it.
C++
Developers may use C++ to create Android apps with the Android Native Development Kit (NDK). An app cannot be written entirely in C++, and the NDK is used to implement elements of the app in C++ native code. This facilitates the use of C++ code libraries for the program as needed.
Conclusion
It’s now time to go forth and conquer Android!!! Mobile App Developers use the following languages to construct programs: chat messengers, music players, games, calculators, etc. And there is no such thing as a “proper language” for Android App Development. As a result, it is up to you to select the appropriate language for each project based on your aims and preferences. And remember that whichever path you take will only broaden your skill set and propel you forward as an Android developer.
