Almost all of us constantly use our mobile devices to communicate, search for places, entertainment, shop, etc. We do all this through applications. And for this system to work, developers are needed to design them using programming languages for applications.
In the mobile application market, two operating systems confront each other: Android and iOS. The former is the most widely used worldwide, with a market share of 70% according to Statcounter and most mobile phone brands using it.
Secondly, the Apple operating system, whose market share is much lower, but the relevance is similar. This is based on the benefits generated by the App Store, which are far superior to those of Google Play.
Be that as it may, if you want to take your first steps in mobile development, the operating system you bet on will determine the programming languages for the applications that you will have to learn. It can be angular, Kotlin, Java, and more. In this article, we will look at this aspect in more detail.
Programming languages for Android applications
To begin with, it must be emphasized that initially, Android programming is much more accessible. Programming applications for this operating system is possible from any computer, Microsoft or MacOS, and there are various development environments with tools to make this task easier, especially Android Studio, the official application development program for Android.
Similarly, you will have a wide range of possibilities on a global scale, as 7 out of 10 smartphones use this operating system. So, if you choose this one, these are the most commonly used programming languages for android apps.
Java
Java is an object-oriented programming language that is used to develop all kinds of web applications, mobile applications, system applications, etc. Its multi-platform nature means that it has a wide range of applications. Android app development stands out among them.
The Android operating system itself was developed using Java technology. In this context, Java is more than just one of the programming languages for applications, it is an entire ecosystem of tools and methods, such as the Java Virtual Machine, that allows you to transform code developed in this language into your software application.
Kotlin
Kotlin is another programming language for Android applications most commonly used by developers. It’s statically typed, object-oriented, and heavily inspired by Java, but it’s a simpler and more intuitive language.
For a long time, Java was the reference language for programming Android apps until the advent of Kotlin in 2016 ended its reign. Both currently co-exist as mobile development favorites, although the popularity of Kotlin has led Google (owner of Android) to declare itself Kotlin First in 2019, meaning it recommends programming its apps exclusively in that language from now on.
Programming languages for iOS applications
At the same time, if you want to develop apps for iPhone, iPad, and other devices, Swift is the place to learn.
Swift (and Objective-c)
Before talking about Swift, we should mention Objective-c, which was the main programming language for iOS and macOS applications until the release of the first one in 2014. It is based on object-oriented programming, dynamic and simple at the same time. This is one of the fundamental influences of Swift, which is why they share a few common characteristics.
Swift is an open-source, multi-paradigm strongly typed programming language created by Apple for developing applications for its operating systems. In recent years, it has gradually supplanted Objective-c, becoming the native language of iOS, macOS, and all software in this technology family. For now, it’s enough to master Swift as a programming language for Apple.
Which language to choose is up to you. To do this, analyze your goals and needs, and then choose the best option for yourself. If you need any help with developing an application, then you may contact specialists. To get to know more about the most suitable languages for creating mobile apps, we recommend you to read https://fireart.studio/blog/top-most-popular-programming-languages-for-mobile-app-development/.
