Best Language for Android App Development
What’s the best language for android app development? This is the most basic question when deciding on android programming language for your next app design & development and the project success. We all know that the future of your product may greatly depend on the chosen tech stack, and the choice of the language is a part of it.
What you need to know before creating Android App?
Before starting your Android project, mind your target audience and competition and stay realistic in terms of android development language. On the one hand, you need to write in the language convenient for you. But it is also impossible to deny a number of other factors that may affect the choice.
The truth is that the development for Android is a large fleet of devices and operating system versions that are difficult to maintain (about 8-12 thousand device models). You won’t be able to test all of them in the end.
Also, if you plan to monetize your application type through in-app purchases, then keep in mind that Android users have a lower-paying capacity than iOS users. There are even more challenges, but first thing first.
Best programming languages for Native Android App Development
Which platform to use first for programming for android? What analytics systems to build in? and many other issues will accompany choosing the best android programming language for your product. So, to avoid severe mistakes, the experts will always advise you to pick the android app development language that is the most widely applied for native Android development. Let’s check out some of them.
Kotlin
Kotlin allows you to do almost the same thing as Java language but using fewer lines (Extensions, Data Classes, Null Safety). It is worth mentioning the work with the UI design: you no longer need to deal with the boilerplate with findViewById, etc. thanks to Android Extensions.
Pros
Because the code is readable, finding and fixing errors in the code is likewise simple. Additionally, Kotlin has a rather low learning curve due to its clear syntax, making it simple for new developers to pick up and understand. Data classes, smart casts, and type interface are some of the elements that make Kotlin a simple programming language with an expressive syntax. Compared to Java, it lessens boilerplate code. This means that by writing less lines of code than Java, your engineers may accomplish the same or even better functionality.
The fantastic compiler that comes with Kotlin is another advantage. Instead of doing so during runtime, the compiler finds any faults or potential flaws in the code during compilation.
The use of Kotlin fixes several Java issues like functional programming or NullPointerException.
The fact that Kotlin allows both native and cross-platform app development is one of its most remarkable advantages. It’s possible for developers to share the business logic of Android and iOS apps while maintaining a native user experience with Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile, an SDK for developing apps for Android and iOS.
Cons
Because there aren’t enough Kotlin developers available, you can have trouble locating and hiring qualified candidates.
Although Kotlin is a programming language for beginners, it doesn’t have as many resources as Java. Kotlin could therefore be challenging to learn and master, especially for new engineers.
Kotlin’s user base is quite modest in comparison to Java’s. Young developers may find it difficult to solve their problems or find rapid fixes as a result.
Java
Java is among one of the top programming languages for android app development. A large Android app programming language community, many best language for android app development code libraries, solutions, and ready-made modules are all advantages. Roughly speaking, if developers encounter problems, they may easily get the answers in no time.
Pros
The fact that Java is a general-purpose programming language, alongside C, PHP, and Python, is one of its key benefits. Because of this, Java programming is incredibly flexible and that is why it can be used to meet a wide range of demands.
The fact that Java is a general-purpose programming language, alongside C, PHP, and Python, is one of its key benefits. Because of this, Java programming is incredibly flexible and can be used to meet a wide range of demands.
Java offers some heightened security by defending against particular security problems prevalent in some other programming languages, even though no programming language is intrinsically immune to all hackers or automatically free of vulnerabilities.
Cons
The fact that Java occasionally performs slowly or offers subpar speed is one of its main drawbacks.
Previously available without charge to all users, regardless of whether the apps they developed had an emphasis on commerce, Java is now subject to the purchase of a commercial license.
When building applications, a graphical user interface (GUI) is crucial, but Java’s desktop UIs lack a native appearance and feel.
Java is not difficult to learn, but it does produce sophisticated, verbose code.
С#
Android programming using C# implies the usage of the Xamarin system. With its help, you can create application logic in C # for Android. Surprisingly, an Android developer writing in C# is rather an exception than the rule. This solution is suitable for those who know the language and want to try their hand at best language to develop android app mobile.
Pros
The fundamentals of object-oriented programming (OOP) were the foundation upon which C# was built. In order to apply the set of common functions to data, this coding idea presupposes that you can describe the type and structure of the data.
C# is recognized as a high-level language due to how closely its syntax resembles human language. To put it another way, the C# code must be compiled in order for the hardware to understand its instructions because it is highly abstracted from machine code.
Runtimes are used in.NET applications to translate C# code into machine instructions on any of the supported OSs. With many runtime environments, including Mono and Microsoft’s own CLI,.NET enables C# developers with the cross-platform capabilities. With .NET, C# becomes a flexible language.
The C-family of programming languages includes C#. Despite not being particularly useful on its own, knowing C# will make learning C, C++, or Java simpler because these languages share a lot of the same grammar and programming concepts. There is a built-in trash collector in C#.
Cons
The performance of C# isn’t the best. In order to function on many platforms or operating systems, C# strongly relies on the.NET framework. The use of.NET libraries adds another level of complexity to C#, which is already not the simplest language to learn.
C++
C-languages are positioned as high-performance languages. You can use C or C++ for Android development if you have a specific goal.
Pros
It is the perfect option for many applications since it provides exceptional performance, memory efficiency, and object-oriented support. C++ does, however, have significant shortcomings, including as learning curve challenges and a lack of capabilities like garbage collection.
Cons
But it’s worth understanding that you still have to resort to Java in some cases. Without it, you won’t be able to create a full-fledged mobile application. Android NDK allows you to write in C / C ++ only a part of the application, for example, libraries that can be connected to the program through Java.
Because C++ is an object-oriented programming language, it has a number of security flaws, making it less secure than other programming languages.
The amount of memory required by the pointers used in C++ makes it unsuitable for some devices. It cannot support threads for built-in code.
Python
Recently, a large number of resources for Python development for Android have appeared. This made it the best programming language for android app development with the most solid platform & the support available for everyone among the android development languages. It also has an impressive toolkit with most of the standard library, and so much more. Any third-party module written in Python can be easily added. This is another reason for Python to be so universal and popular.
Pros
Python is one of the languages with the fastest global growth rates. Python is a robust, adaptable, and user-friendly language. Additionally, there is a thriving Python community. Due to its compatibility for several programming paradigms, it is utilized by numerous businesses.
The benefits of Python include portability, flexibility, a sizable user community, and a free and open-source license.
Cons
Python has some drawbacks, such as a slow performance and high memory utilization. Additionally, it does not allow multi-threading, database access, or mobile environments.
Native Android Apps vs Hybryd Apps
Your developers must completely rewrite and restructure all of the app’s functionality in the native programming language for a native app. You can create the app functionality in a single codebase while creating a hybrid app. After that, you can encase your code in a thin native app shell or container. What is the difference between Native and Hybrid Apps?
| Criteria | Native | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS or Android | All platforms |
| Programming languages | Objetive-C/Swift or Java/Kotlin | JavaScript, CSS, and HTML |
| Development time & cost | Higher | Lower |
| UI/UX | Rich | Poor |
So, the primary distinction is that native apps are created specifically for either iOS or Android. However, hybrid apps are created with the same codebase and can run on any operating system.
How to choose a programming language?
Selecting a programming language which may be challenging because there are too many factors to take into account. You might wish it was as simple as picking from a variety of pizza or ice cream flavors. Ask any developer or technical manager about the factors influencing popular tech choices and the factors that influence programming language selection as well as the data-driven decisions developers should make to protect their jobs and deliver successful projects.
To obtain a better perspective and subsequently make a decision, you should be aware of all the aspects that go into picking a programming language. A solid choice will result in less time spent on project scaling, maintenance, and other factors like security. The following are some important factors influencing the choice of language:
1. App type
The different application types range from complex embedded firmware to web and mobile applications. Commonly used programming languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript, and C# can be used to create numerous apps on multiple platforms. There are additional circumstances in which certain languages perform better. For instance, given the popularity of mobile apps, you might decide to design a native Android app in Java or an embedded firmware project in C and C++.
2. App complexity
The choice of programming language is influenced by the size and complexity of the application. WordPress and other content management systems (CMS) can be used for smaller, simpler applications like marketing websites or webforms, and they might only need a little amount of code. On the other hand, complex programs like e-commerce websites, enterprise apps, or apps based on emerging technologies like IoT or AI might require Java or C#. As a technical manager with a variety of expertise, you can become a master at estimating complexity.
3. Time to market
Businesses rely on early product market entry to obtain an advantage over competitors. For a project with a longer schedule, it is advisable to select new programming languages and technologies. By utilizing the developers’ current expertise, you can finish your project more quickly. It is easier to run on an AWS-based cloud environment in case you already have one and the necessary team skills than switching to a different technology environment.
4. Maintainability
Developer accessibility determines the need for codebase maintenance and the associated costs. For instance, given current trends, hiring Java, C#, Python, or PHP engineers is simple and affordable. Libraries and vendor support networks are unique to technology stacks. Choose a programming language that will be current for a while and that regularly releases updates.
5. Scalability, Performance & Security
To protect applications from internet threats is the best course of action. It is crucial to follow the security criteria before choosing any programming language for your application. The performance of the app may be affected by the programming language you choose. It becomes essential when the development environment has scaling limitations. The widely used software stacks LAMP, MEAN,.NET, Java Spring, and Ruby on Rails (RoR) all have good scalability.
Challenges in Android app development
Apart from picking the right language used for making android apps, there may also be extra challenges when you approach your project development.
Developing applications for the Android OS provides creators with more development freedom and increases the number of users for software owners. However, in this process, they may face many challenges when developing Android apps.
Market research costs
Market research costs are another challenge. The knowledge of your end-user is the key to Android app development success, but this may require the tool a lot of research and be out of reach for developers.
Android market
With over 8 million apps now available on the Android market, it’s easy to make your app stand out from all the rest. Therefore, even if you create a great Android application, if you don’t pay attention to its promotion, then you may not have users.
Updates
There are so many versions of the Android operating system, as well as versatile devices, that it is really hard for developers to keep up with the operating system version update rate when it comes to best programming language for android app development.
Devices
There are almost 170+ devices running operating systems. Since each device has different specifications regarding keyboard shape, screen size, camera button, etc., it has become a nightmare for developers in terms of what language is used for android apps.
A large number of Android devices also create another problem for Android application development – the lack of standardization of software and hardware for different devices.
Software providers
Android application development service providers know that there are many providers for the Android operating system, and each operator has the right to freely change the operating system for their own purposes.
Security
There are no strict guidelines for app development, and Android apps have no such control as those from Apple. As a result, many malware problems have arisen, and both the software and hardware fragmentation have made it difficult to resolve these problems.
Patent issues
The lack of standardization, strict control & guidelines may cause numerous lawsuits, which indicates that certain Android features may be claimed to violate patent-related issues. This will be a big problem for developers when developing android apps.
Do you want to create your own app? – Feel free to contact us!
In the case you experience any difficulties choosing the best programming language for developing android apps, you may always resort to professionals. With us, you can hire a dedicated Android app developer to provide you with the subtleties of Android native development, each language peculiarity, pros & cons, their frameworks, their effect on the device memory, as well as the system capacities and task performance for the end-user, etc.
Conclusion
As considered the most popular smartphone operating system globally, Android allows app owners to gain a vast user base. Developing applications & dashboards for the Android OS gives developers more development freedom and increases the number of users for application owners. Nevertheless, choosing an ideal language used for developing android apps is the first step to take. Before you start, it’s essential to consider the best choice of language. Discover the top programming languages for android development to make the right decision and launch the process asap with us.
