Android owes its popularity by and far to its extensive app ecosystem. App development for Android is as simple as it gets. It’s just like making websites in Kotlin and XML, which also happens to be the main reason why app development in Android is so popular.
The barrier of entry is also pretty low. All you need is a semi-decent laptop and the ability to pick up a programming language, and you’re pretty much good to go.
But before that, there are a few essential questions you need to ask yourself, namely:
You can watch the video below in English and Hindi or continue reading the article.
Also read: How to clear app cache and stored data in Android?
What language will you code your apps in?
There are two choices here, Java or Kotlin. Kotlin is the official language recommended by Android. Before Kotlin, Java was the go-to language for everyone looking to make Android apps, and many developers still do.
So which one should you pick? Well, we suggest you start with Kotlin. Java was declared obsolete quite some time ago, and Kotlin is the future of Android. However, if you’re more comfortable coding in Java, it’s still a viable option. There are a lot of libraries that use it, so that’s bound to make life easier for you.
Also read: Unable to locate ADB in Android Studio: 4 Fixes
Which IDE should you use?
Next up, we will have to install Android Studio, which is the go-to IDE for pros and beginners alike to make apps for Android. The Installation is quite simple. Go to the official Android Studio website, download the IDE and follow alongwith the instructions.
There are other alternatives to this too. The most popular ones are XCode, Adobe AIR, Corona SDK, Appcelerator and Xamarin, but none make the development process as easy and fluid as Android Studio.
You can opt for said alternatives if you have any specific needs, but you’ll be pretty well off with Android Studio for the most part.
Also read: What is App Stack on Android?
What makes an app, an ‘app’?
Lastly, before creating an Android app, we need to know what it takes to create one. Essentially, there are two parts to an app, a Layout and a corresponding Activity.
A layout is essentially the front end of an app where the user will interact. It is made by a view or a combination of views that enable you to customise your app in whichever way you want. This particular part will be in XML, a markup language very similar to HTML.
An Activity, on the other hand, is the code behind the layout that tells the layout what to do when a user interacts with it; what happens when you press a button, what to do if a particular gesture is detected, how the logic works behind the scenes and anything else relevant to the functionality of the app. This is the part you’ll have to write in Kotlin or Java if you prefer.
And from here on, the world is your canvas. All you need to do is start turning your idea into reality.
Also read: What are Android developer options? How to enable it?
