How To Choose A Programming Language For Your App?

Yash Prajapati
Read Time: 5 Minutes
How To Choose A Programming Language For Your App?

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have become tremendously popular in recent years. Modern devices are armed with the Best Bluetooth speaker, NFC, GPS, cameras, etc, which can be used for a wide array of functions like scanning barcodes, GPS tracking, and making payments, among others.

This is where mobile app development comes into play. Developers create mobile software to be used on these devices and optimize them with all the advantageous features and hardware of such devices to maximize their operational efficiency. The best practice will be to hire an experienced mobile app development company to get a fully customized and flexible app for your business.

Considering the highly competitive business environment of today, companies are increasingly investing in creating mobile apps today. It is projected that the mobile applications market will generate a whopping $581.9 billion in revenue by the end of 2020. 

Mobile apps allow companies to establish a direct connection with customers, improve the quality of their services, and increase the overall productivity of their marketing efforts.

What is mobile application development? 

  • Even though mobile app development borrows heavily from traditional software development practices, the two are very different. In the case of mobile devices, developers are required to design apps that are operable across a set of hardware. Any performance concerns are dealt with by designing apps as per the requirements of specific hardware components. 
  • As a result, mobile app development is relatively easier when it comes to Apple devices. However, mobile app development becomes difficult with Android devices where differences in hardware and operating systems are much more pronounced. 

App development can be of the following three types:

1. Native apps

  • Native apps are unique to platforms that only use the software development tools and programming languages supported by the operating system in question. Android uses Eclipse and Java, while iOS uses Xcode and Objective-C. These apps explore a device’s full potential and provide optimal performance. 
  • Developers prefer native apps because of their performance, but it must also be kept in mind that creating these apps involves a time-consuming process. It is also very costly to develop apps individually for every platform. It is the principal reason why the Apple environment - apps and their performance in Apple products are considered to be significantly better than their Android counterpart. 
  • On the other hand, native app developers can create unique applications that can be integrated with wearables, smart screens, and several other smart home devices.

2. Web apps

  • These apps are based on web standards - HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. Essentially, web-based apps are accessible via any platform. Developers only need to write the codes once, and then run them on any platform using a web browser. This kind of app development is cheap, time-effective, and has cross-platform compatibility. 
  • However, it must also be noted that while web apps may work efficiently for desktops, it is not so for mobile devices. And people spend most of their mobile time navigating apps, not web browsers. Based on a report by Statista, almost 204 billion app downloads were recorded in 2019. These numbers will no doubt multiply in the coming decade. 

3. Hybrid apps

  • Hybrid apps are more complex where a container is created in the native system, which embeds a web app within it. In this manner, hybrid apps can use the unique beneficial elements of each platform.

What Is Object-Oriented Programming?

  • Object-oriented programming, or OOP, is the most popular paradigm of programming. Given its all-inclusive and functional approach, it is considered to be the standard way to write code. 
  • It relies on the concept of structuring a program into simpler, reusable segments known as a class. A class is an abstract blueprint of an object, which consists of several attributes. They also contain functions or methods that are defined within the particular class. Templates of class are used to create a specific individual object. Thus, each object has unique values and attributes defined within the class. 
  • JavaScript, C++, Java, and Python are the major object-oriented programming languages used by developers today. But, what is the benefit of using this model over other available ones?

Benefits of using OOP

  • It structures complex data into simple and reusable classes

  • Encapsulation of information is one of the most important reasons this model is widely used

  • Every OOP object can be used across different programs

  • It allows class-specific functions; hence it is easy to customize the program

  • Since the program is well structured, it is easier to debug

What is front-end web development?

  • Essentially, there are two ends to app development. There is the back end, where developers are concerned with databases and what goes on behind the scenes; and front-end web development, where developers focus on how users will interact with the app,including following front-end best practices front end is basically what the user sees on an app, including the design. 
  • All the interactive features on the app are designed by front-end developers. Client-side scripting is usually done using HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.

What is the best programming language for your app?

So now we come to the big question which is the best programming language to use? To start with, there is no straight right answer to this question. There are several languages to choose from, each with its set of pros and cons. It can be quite confusing when you look at all these options; however, here are a few things you should check before you zero in on a programming language:

  • What is your targeted platform?

  • What is the purpose of your app?

  • How much time and financial support do you have?

Setting clear goals in this manner will help you achieve them strategically while managing risks, if any. Once you have clarity concerning your objectives, you will know which programming language is best suited to your requirements. 

In any case, here are some of the most popular options for you to consider:

  • JavaScript is the most used programming language to date and is best for cross-platform app development.

  • Kotlin: Kotlin is considered to be the advanced version of Java and has recently become very popular in Android app development due to extensive support from Google. It is also a clean, more versatile, and concise alternative for Java.

  • C++ is another popular language for mobile apps, especially for developing native apps, games, and other GUI-based applications.

  • Swift is an open-source language specifically designed for the Apple environment. It is flexible, scalable, and expressive.

  • Objective-C: An extension of the C language, it is the most popular language used by Apple developers.

  • Difference between C and Java is that Java uses objects, while C uses functions

So, which coding language is best for apps? Well, that's for you to decide. However, now that you have all the information you need, it shouldn't be too difficult.But make sure you do your proper research before executing. Extensively go through reviews on different review platforms, like App Academy School reviews, before choosing any coding language to build apps. This will make you aware of the problems and issues faced by the audience members who have actually used that coding language. By knowing the issues and errors, you can very well and confidently pick a language that has minimal problems and complexities.

You will also get an idea of the learning curve involved in picking up that coding language. You could make a decision based on the learning curve if you are not much into learning new things. By researching the reviews and feedback of the users who have already used the coding language, you will get an idea of the size of the community that has been using that particular language for developing apps. Larger the community of users and coders of a particular coding language, the easier it will be for the newbie in the realm of that coding language to execute the app development process. So, good luck with your mobile app! If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask us.

Author Bio: Rajamanickam Rajan is the director at Skein Technologies, a leading web development company in Coimbatore. He has expertise in analyzing, designing, & developing hybrid and native applications.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajamanickam-skein/ 

Website: https://www.skeintech.com/ 

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