Learning about different types of languages gives you a fair idea of what kind of programming language you need to choose for different kinds of apps. Although Java is the official language, an Android app can be built with other languages. Since you’re interested in how to create Android apps predominantly, here are a few options to take into account.
If you want to develop Android apps, step one is picking a language. The differences between the various Android programming languages can be a little complex and nuanced. Choosing which one to start with requires an understanding of their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Below are the programming languages which are currently used for Android development:
- Java – Java is the official language for Android development and is supported by Android Studio. It has a steep learning curve, however.
- Kotlin – Kotlin is the most recently introduced Android language and the secondary official Java language; it is similar to Java, but in many ways, a little easier to get your head around.
- C/C++ — Android Studio supports C++ with the use of the Java NDK. This allows for native coding, which can be handy for things like games. C++ is more complicated, though.
- C# — C# is a slightly more beginner-friendly alternative to C or C++ that obfuscates more code. It’s supported by some very handy tools like Unity and Xamarin, which are great for game development and cross-platform development.
- BASIC – A bonus option is to learn BASIC and try the B4S IDE from Anywhere Software. This is an easy but also really powerful tool, though definitely much more niche!
- Corona/LUA – Another cross-platform tool build on LUA, it massively simplifies the app-building process and allows you to call native libraries.
- PhoneGap (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) – If you already know how to build interactive web pages, then you can use this knowledge with PhoneGap to build a more basic cross-platform app.
The best way to develop an Android app is to go ahead and download Android Studio. This is a piece of software called an IDE, or Integrated Development Environment. It is offered as a package with the Android SDK, which is nothing but a set of tools used to facilitate Android development. This will give you everything you need in one place to get up and get going.
The official tutorials and documentation from Google are referred to in this method and you will find the largest number of libraries and free code to enhance your apps, and tutorials that focus on this method.
Life is much better with Android Studio, which has been gathering strength over the last few years. Features like the visual designer and suggestions make the process smoother, while advanced, powerful features are being added all the time to give developers access to things like cloud storage with easy implementation.
Java
For any mobile app developer around the world, the first and the most preferred programming language for an Android app is Java, one of the reasons being that it’s simply the official language of Android app development, which means it is one of the most supported languages by Google and the one that most apps in the Play Store are built with.
Java itself was developed by Sun Microsystems way back in 1995, and it is used for a wide range of programming applications. Java code is run by a virtual machine, which runs on Android devices and interprets the code.
Unfortunately, Java is also a little complicated and it’s not a great language to deal with if you are a beginner. This is the biggest hurdle faced by people who plan to get into Android app development. Java is an object-oriented programming language with confusing topics like constructors, null pointer exceptions, checked exceptions, and a lot more. It’s not terribly readable and you’ll use a lot of code for simple things.