The following guest post comes courtesy of Michael Kordvani from fueled.nyc
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Though Objective-C, Swift, Java, Python and HTML5 are widely regarded as the most popular mobile app programming languages, when it comes to programming languages for Android apps, it is Java and Python that are the rulers of them all.
But, perhaps you are an Android app developer who does not have a need for two programming languages. Perhaps, you just want the Big Dawg of all of the Android app programming languages in your toolbox. If so, read on to learn whether Python or Java is the best Android app programming language for you and your career.
Python
Python has been one of the most popular Android app programming languages for years because of these core tenets:
- Readability Matters
- Beautiful, not Ugly
- Simple, not Complex
- Complex, not Complicated
- Explicit, not Implicit
So, really, when it comes time to learn how to create an Android app, Python deserves serious consideration.
Now, the majority of Android app developers do not learn this programming language because they are interested in Python’s core philosophy; they probably don’t even know about the philosophy. Android app developers choose the Python programming language because it is very simple to learn and features perhaps the easiest readability of all of the Android app developer languages in use today. One of the other main reasons for an Android app developer to code in Python is that the language supports dynamic typing, which can be a real game changer.
Now, you must not make the mistake of thinking that Python’s simplicity means that it cannot be used to create sophisticated apps. It can. In fact, Spotify, DropBox, Quora and YouTube were all developed on Python. That’s an amazing portfolio, yeah?
Java
Though Python has long been the one of the most popular app developing languages on the planet, it is not the most popular. Java is the most popular language.
Its popularity is one reason Android app developers ought to learn and work with it. After all, there is no other Android app programming language that has nearly as many open-source tools and Java-based libraries supporting it.
Another quality that Java is known for may be viewed by some developers as a negative. It is not concise. This is a great drawback for beginning Android app developers; however, skilled Android app developers tend to enjoy working with Java’s large vocabulary because it allows them to be as precise and creative as they could ever hope to be.
Java, Python: Which Should You Choose?
The bottom line is that only you can decide which Android app language is best for you and your career as an Android app developer. Novice developers tend to prefer Python for its simplicity, while experienced developers often choose Java for its extensive vocabulary. However, since there are currently close to 3 million Android apps available, you can rest assured that there is indeed a robust market for you and your apps, regardless of the language that may be the best fit for your project. Happy Android app building!