Thursday 2 November 2017

Top 7 Programming Languages for Mobile App Development


With the release of the iPhone X, smartphones continue to be one of the hottest and most trending topics online. We all have them, we all love them, and we all think we can come up with the latest and greatest mobile apps that will take the world by storm. The problem is unless we’re familiar with one, two, or a few programming languages, we’re left without a paddle.

One avenue of recourse is to team up with a developer or digital agency with mobile app development skills, but that might come with a hefty price tag. Instead, take a proactive approach; learn some programming languages and start coding some mobile apps. The hard part of learning is up to you, but here’s your first step: choosing from these top 7 programming languages ripe for mobile app development.

1: Swift

Swift is a powerful and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Released by Apple specifically for iOS and supporting systems, this programming language is a must if you plan to develop mobile apps for Apple users. It’s quite intuitive and easy to learn, and its popularity has been steadily increasing in recent years. If you want a language that makes coding fun, you can’t go wrong with Swift.

2: Objective-C

Before Swift, there was Objective-C, Apple’s language of choice for years. It’s one of the most popular programming languages for mobile app development, so consider learning it and Swift congruently for a well-rounded approach. It’s simple to use, pretty robust and scalable, and as it’s a C-language superset, it has a decent amount of functions geared toward graphics and display functions.

3: C++

C++ (pronounced C plus plus) is the language for you if you’re planning on entering the Android and Windows mobile app landscape. It’s one of the most powerful programming languages and is also very good for developing cross-platform mobile apps. Speaking of, C++ works with Objective-C libraries in iOS app development, so definitely consider adding it to your repertoire. No matter what type of app you’re thinking of, C++ can definitely help you out.

4: Java

With 5 million students studying it, 10 million developers using it, and 15 billion devices running on it, Java is the language of possibilities. It’s an object-oriented language that’s very easy to learn and use, which is probably why many introductory computer science courses use it as a starter language. As such, it’s also one of the most popular programming languages in the world (overall), especially for Android mobile app development. Not to say that you can’t use it for cross-platform app development — it’s actually one of the most suited languages for app development in general.

5: Python

Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more effectively. It’s a high-level language perfect for a variety of projects, and one of its most appealing features is that it is excellent at readability. Because of its syntax, Python is also very good at writing fast code, as it helps programmers achieve results in fewer steps than other languages like Java or C++.

6: C#

Just like Swift is Apple’s brainchild, C# is Microsoft’s. As such, if you want to develop a Windows phone app, definitely consider C#. It’s a very versatile language and, with support from Xamarin and Unity, you can build everything from server and enterprise apps to games.

7: Javascript + HTML5

HTML5 is the fifth version of HTML, and while not a mobile app development language in and of itself, by pairing it with Javascript, it most definitely becomes one (Javascript can also be paired with CSS and AJAX for mobile apps). Therefore, it’s good for hybrid app developers who are not used to the mobile app landscape.

Final Thoughts

Take your pick of one or all of these languages — you can’t go wrong with either. Here they are all over again:
1. Swift
2. Objective-C
3. C++
4. Java
5. Python
6. C#
7. Javascript + HTML5

Good luck learning and coding!