Back to: Android Application Development

• If you’re curious about Android and Android app programming, either you want to develop Android apps or get one built for you and want to know more about your app technology.
• Learning to code can be complicated and a daunting experience. Most of the time it’s not even clear where to start.
• 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.
• 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.

 

• 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.