Mobile application development is one of the most in-demand fields in programming!
Even though a large number of developers have entered this field, there is still continuous demand for professionals in this specialty. My name is Khalid Elmrabti, an Android application developer. In this article, I will provide you with a guide to learning mobile application development.
Guide to Learning Mobile Application Development
Like most programming fields, the field of smartphone app programming is also divided into other subfields, and this is not a general rule, but this is often the case.
Mobile application development is divided into two main paths: Native mobile application development, which means developing applications specifically for Android or iOS systems. On the other hand, there is Cross-platform mobile development, where one code runs on multiple systems.
I will explain each path in detail throughout this guide. If anything seems unclear, don’t worry, I will clarify everything.
Native Mobile Application Development
This path is divided into two main areas: Android app development and iOS app development, owned by Apple.
Languages to Learn for Native Mobile Development
For Android:
- Java
- Kotlin (the official Android language)
For iOS:
- Objective-C
- Swift (modern and easy to learn, requires a Mac for development)
Pros of Native Development
- Applications are lightweight and supported by Google and Apple, ensuring continuous updates.
Cons of Native Development
- Apps only run on one platform, requiring knowledge of both Android and iOS or hiring additional developers.
Cross-Platform Mobile Development
With cross-platform development, one codebase works on multiple platforms, but it lacks the performance of native development, especially for large apps.
Technologies for Cross-Platform Development:
- React Native (supported by Facebook, uses JavaScript)
- Xamarin (supported by Microsoft, uses C#)
- Flutter (supported by Google, uses Dart)
- Ionic (easy to learn, uses HTML and CSS)
Pros
- Write code once and create apps for both Android and iOS.
Cons
- Less efficient than native apps, though performance is improving.
This was a guide to learning mobile application development. Hopefully, you now have a clearer picture of which path to choose.