Android Native Applications Development
There are many ways to develop apps for the Android operating system. One of them is the development of Native Applications using the Kotlin programming language. When the Android operating system appeared about 15 years ago, Google introduced the possibility of developing applications for it using the Java programming language. It was Google’s official development language for the Android operating system. I remember the period well. I was among the first in the world to enter the field, and in 2010 I flew to India twice in order to conduct professional courses in the field at the research and development center of the Avaya company in Pune. About 5 years ago, the official development language was changed to Kotlin. The complexity of the Android operating system has not changed, and instead of using Java, we have switched to Kotlin.
The Programming Languages We should Learn
Before starting to develop for the Android operating system, you should be familiar with the Java and Kotlin programming languages. To learn how to develop in the Kotlin programming language, you must first be familiar with the Java programming language. In many cases, code written in Kotlin will include code that makes use of classes defined in Java. I have been teaching Java courses for over 25 years. Although the learning curve of Java is easier compared to C++, it is still much more difficult compared to programming languages such as Python and JavaScript. This is my impression from dozens of courses I have taught in these languages during my life. Most of the courses for learning Java that are delivered today are not at a sufficient level to continue the process and learn Kotlin. More than once, in the professional courses for learning Kotlin that I conduct in high-tech companies, I am sometimes required to dedicate at least one session to completing important topics in Java before starting to learn Kotlin. The Kotlin programming language is a rich language and has a particularly luxurious toolbox. Popular languages such as Python and JavaScript pale in comparison. This is a completely different scale. The learning curves of the Java and Kotlin programming languages are significantly more difficult than the learning curves of the Python and JavaScript programming languages.
The Programming Languages We Should Learn
The development of the Android operating system began in 2003. In 2005 Google purchased the company that worked on the development of Android. Since then, the Android operating system has undergone many changes. Today it is a very complex operating system. The API it exposes is available for use in both Java and Kotlin. Since the appearance of Android, I have taught dozens of public courses, courses in high-tech companies and academic courses. Most of the students in the courses I taught did not manage to reach a high enough level to work in Android application development. The time limit on the one hand (too long courses cannot be delivered) and the scope of the professional material that the course covered, and its extraordinary complexity on the other, meant that the few who managed to enter the field were characterized by motivation, and particularly high abilities. Usually it was developers with rich experience in development and abilities at a particularly high level.
The Challenging Long Learning Curve
Since it is a long and challenging process that is suitable for those with particularly high abilities and motivation, a gap has arisen between the demand in the labor market for Android native application developers and the supply. This led, among other things, to an increase in the development costs of Android apps and the appearance of alternative technologies, such as Flutter and ReactNative. Since this is a long and challenging professional training process, I recommend to all those without a background in programming and to all computer science students who are considering development in this direction to consult with experienced software developers who work in developing applications for the Android operating system.
