6 Best Programming Languages for Mobile App Development

Last updated on June 23rd, 2022 at 04:24 am

Long story short, it all depends on what you are going to work on. Mobile developers may not need all the available features of a particular language. If you want to write a mobile application, you need to know the programming language. Sometimes more than one language may be needed. It is difficult to choose the best language because there are many options, and in this, I will help you choose the best.

Taking a Good Start

The occupation of a mobile developer is a very beneficial one these days. These developers are now in high demand, so the number of open vacancies for developers can be comparable to the number of available translator jobs, which are numerous because of the number of languages around the world and globalization. So, it’s worth considering this kind of job. But where can you start?

Mobile applications can be grouped into three categories: native, hybrid and cross-platform. Native applications can take full advantage of all the features and functions of the OS, and they are the fastest. However, each platform uses different programming languages. For example, the Android platform uses Java and C / C ++ to develop its own applications. Apple’s iOS platform relies on Objective-C and Swift as native languages. C # is used by the Windows Mobile platform to encode its own applications. All of these native application programming languages ​​are compiled, not interpreted.

It’s basically like with human languages. Obviously, it’s best to speak your native language in your own country so that people would simply perceive what you say. Yet, when you’re going abroad, you might need to address the best translation services online to get things working for you. So, when choosing a programming language to work with, you must also decide what environment you wish to work for.

Hybrid mobile applications are actually websites that are also designed to work with mobile devices. The user can access them through a mobile browser. The combination of HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript is the obvious choice if you want to develop web applications. Recently, a new series of mobile cross-platform frameworks have appeared. These frameworks combine the best features of native applications and hybrid applications – they are faster and easier and can access the full power of your own device, but they are also programmed using JavaScript and other web languages.

6 Best Programming Languages for Mobile App Development

Before delving into the detailed language features, you need to choose a platform. You can turn to readdive.com to get an idea of the different platforms and how to choose the one that suits you. Now let’s look at programming languages for mobile applications in terms of their capabilities.

1. Java

Java has become the main language for developing mobile applications on Android. The only limitations will be your imagination and your level of knowledge of the Java language. Java applications will work the same on any Java-compatible device without the need to change the code. They are also easy to transfer to different operating systems. Java has a large and developed community of developers, so you can easily get technical support and help. Java code written 15 years ago can run even on the latest JVM. Another notable feature is that it is fundamentally object-oriented, and this makes Java reliable because Java objects do not contain references to external data.

2. JavaScript

JavaScript is a popular language for frontend and backend development that allows web developers to do everything from improving the user interface of their websites to creating full-fledged web applications. There are several JavaScript frameworks specifically designed for mobile platforms, such as Ionic 2 and React Native. With these frameworks and libraries, it is very easy to develop cross-platform mobile applications. This means that you only need to write one version of the app and it will run on iOS or Android. Supporting technologies or languages ​​related to JavaScript are JSON (data exchange format), jQuery (client-side HTML scripting), Angular and Angular (web application frameworks for SPA development), React (JS Library), asm.js, etc.

3. TypeScript

TypeScript is an optional component of JavaScript. It provides better support for developing large-scale applications. Developed by Microsoft, TypeScript allows developers to write cross-platform mobile applications using frameworks such as NativeScript.

4. Kotlin

Kotlin was designed and developed by JetBrains, which is known for its popular IDE – IntelliJ IDEA. Kotlin is a programming language that is completely interchangeable with Java. Google called Kotlin “the main language for developing applications on Android.” According to fans of the language, the syntax of Kotlin is simpler, cleaner and leads to less inflation of the code. This will help you focus more on solving the actual problem than on the complex syntax. This is the third language that is fully supported for Android in addition to Java and C++.

5. Swift

Swift is a programming language developed by Apple as a modern replacement for Objective-C. Apple has added some great features for the language, such as simplified syntax, the ability to easily detect programmer errors, and more. Swift was originally intended for development on iOS, but can now be used to develop applications for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Unofficial tools for Android are also available.

6. Rust

Rust has cross-platform support and can be used to develop mobile applications on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux. Rust is suitable for developing native and web applications, as well as operating systems, browser components, and game engines.

Making the Choice of Your Life

Choosing a programming language for mobile applications can be difficult if you do not understand the specifics of each language and current trends in the industry. However, this task is easy to handle. The choice of programming language depends on the person, on the requirements to be met, the degree of availability of supported functions or platforms, individual ability to learn, and interests. Now you have a clearer idea of ​​mobile application development languages ​​and that you can compare the relevance of their features with the latest trends. If you need help with a new language, check out video tutorials or other articles on mobile app development.

Charlotte Banks

Charlotte Banks is a freelance blogger and an educator. She mostly blogs about education-related topics, including tips for teachers, students, and parents. She’s also one of the writers and an experienced essayist. She spends her free time blogging and working to develop her skills as a writer as much as possible. Follow her on Twitter.