The trends and practices in the mobile app development sphere are changing rapidly like never before. If you want to cope up with this fast-growing industry, you need to master every nook and cranny of this sphere.
Coding is an integral part of the app development process. Perhaps, coding is everything. In this chapter that deals with technology, we will explore different mobile app programming languages used across the mobile app industries, the merits, demerits, highlights, benefits, and limitations of each programming language.
Here is a list of top mobile app programming languages that are widely used by developers across the globe. Let’s get into the finest details of each of them.
- Java
- HTML5
- Swift
- C#
- Scheme
- Object Pascal
- Jquery
- Python
- QML
- Action Script
- Lua
- Javascript
- C++
- Scratch
- Ruby
- Objective C
- SQL
- Kotlin
Java
Java is the most popular programming language widely used by a large number of app developers.
Pros:
- Java is easy to learn and implement.
- It lets you write reusable code.
- Java comes with a great deal of security, compared to its alternate programming languages.
Cons:
- Java is relatively slower and more memory-consuming.
- Compared to other native platforms, the look and feel are very less creative with the default look of GUI applications.
HTML5
HTML5 is the desired option to develop attractive web pages and mobile applications.
Pros:
- Embedding video and audio is simple and easy with HTML5.
- HTML5 offers a wide range of standard app features.
Cons:
- HTML5 lacks compatibility and support with multiple systems.
- Building apps on HTML5 is relatively more time-consuming.
- The developer has to write different codes for each platform.
Swift
Swift is a unique programming language dedicatedly used to build iOS apps. Besides iOS apps, it is also used on macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and LINUX.
Pros:
- The biggest plus point about using Swift is its scalability and future-ready features.
- Compared to languages like Objective C, Swift is very easy to code.
- Swift requires a very less memory footprint.
Cons:
- Swift is very new to the market and requires updating as claimed by a few developers.
- Swift has got a very less talent pool and it is difficult to get a talented, experienced, and affordable Swift developer.
C#
C# comes with a great combination of modernness, simplicity, and result-oriented focus. As a queue of languages, C# is built as a common language infrastructure that programmers can use with ease and convenience.
Pros:
- C# is one of the safest languages to run.
- C# comes with a very low maintenance cost
Cons:
- C# is slower to run
- C# is less flexible compared to languages like C++
Scheme
The scheme is a multi-prototype coding language that operates with functional compiling methods. The language comes with a syntax that is very simple and easy for everybody to learn.
Pros:
- It is very easy and less complicated.
- It includes functional coding methods that are scalable and customizable.
Cons:
- The possibilities of standardizing this language are very limited and feasible only to a small extent.
- It cannot perform low-level functions
Object Pascal
This is one of the old languages and it functions based on classes and methods. This imperative coding language is used to teach other programming languages.
Pros:
- Though the language has not survived, it is more reliable than C language.
- It is very simple to learn, understand and use
Cons:
- It is necessary to define all the functions, variables, constants, and types at the beginning of the coding process.
- Few syntaxes in this language are obsolete.
Jquery
Jquery language is from the Javascript library, mainly used to help other forms of HTML coding. It is very popularly used across the world.
Pros:
- This removes many issues that exist in Javascript.
- Jquery helps the developers to reduce the complexity of Javascript and make it simpler.
Cons:
- For a few, it is difficult to learn and implement. The open-source nature of this language makes a few things difficult.
Python
This Python language is very famous in the app and web development spectrum for its unparalleled productivity when compared to other languages.
Pros:
- The language has the greatest advantage that even an amateur developer can do a lot of things just by looking at its code.
- It is very flexible as it contains a large number of adaptive frameworks.
Cons:
- This well-known language takes a longer execution time.
- Python is not much recommended for mobile app development.
QML
The Qt Modelling language is a user interface markup language. Unlike the Javascript code, this QML offers declarative language patterns.
Pros:
- This language offers the best platform for mobile development when compared to any other language.
- This language is super easy to learn, implement and has a huge library for materials.
Cons:
- Some features of this app are just built for styling purposes.
- Without the Qt compiler, it takes a longer time to start an app in QML.
Action Script
This language is Object Oriented Programming type and supports Website animation. It has its influences from Hypertalk, the scripting language for HyperCard
Pros:
- Different versions (Action script 1.0 & 2.0) of this language can run on the same machine.
- It is easy to learn as it has similarities to other coding languages like Javascript.
Cons:
- Some parts of the learning curve of this language are a bit difficult to read.
- A higher version of Flash Player is required to program Actionscript 3.0
Lua
This language was developed by incorporating extensibility, speed, portability, and reliability so as to make it perfect in every aspect of programming, especially for embedded applications.
Pros:
- Lua is very strong as well as easy to learn.
- Error handling is done in a better way in Lua when compared to other languages
- It is widely used in video game development.
Cons:
- There are some safety issues in this language.
- The community of users using Lua is very less.
Javascript
It is one of the most commonly used and popular languages. It is a high-level programming language and dynamic in nature.
Pros:
- It provides a dynamic environment for its users.
- It is very simple to learn and implement.
- It can be used on multiple web platforms.
Cons:
- This popular language has safety concerns.
- It lacks facilities to debug.
C++
C++ is another famous programming language mainly framed for general purpose and object-oriented programming, as an extension of C language.
Pros:
- It is well preferred and very popular among programmers
- It has faster executability when compared to its peers.
- It is compatible with C language.
Cons:
- At a high level, this language comes with a complex programming
Scratch
This open-source programming language is very popular in the online community in creating pages related to kids, like animations, games, etc.
Pros:
- It is very unique in making games & animations amongst other languages in the web market.
- Users from all age groups can use this language.
Cons:
- In Scratch, anyone can easily copy the owner’s content and make it their own.
- It needs a lot of training when using this language.
Ruby
This language is widely used for building web applications. It is also a high level and general-purpose programming language.
Pros:
- It is very dynamic in nature.
- It has a standard structure for users in web and mobile app development.
Cons:
- It is very slow when compared to other languages.
- There are no good technical documents available for Ruby.
Objective C
Here comes another popular general-purpose and object-oriented programming language. For the development of apps and OS, Objective C is widely used.
Pros:
- It is a well updated and matured language.
- It is used in iOS and macOS
- It is well popular amongst coders because of its best coding style.
Cons:
- It is not equipped well enough to meet a few new features.
- It takes a longer time for development.
SQL
The Structured Query Language allows users to access relational database management systems (RDBMS).
Pros:
- It efficiently helps to access and retrieve different databases.
- It has well-defined standards with a high speed.
Cons:
- The difficult interface of SQL makes users uncomfortable while accessing data
- Few versions of SQL are expensive.
Kotlin
Kotlin is another general purpose and open source programming language. It is mainly designed for supporting JVM (Java Virtual Machine).
Pros:
- It is one of the fastest-growing languages of recent times.
- Kotlin is simple to learn and code, hence easy to debug.
Cons:
- As the language is new, it is hard to find the best learning materials.
- Usage of extra syntax and keywords makes it difficult at times for the users.
Knowing beforehand the positives, highlights, and shortcomings of each mobile app programming language lets developers stay on the top of their coding and make informed coding decisions.
If you are looking for a free consultation on choosing the right coding option for your app, we can help you with a free consultation. Siam Computing houses a team of app development experts, technology enthusiasts, UI/UX designers, developers, coders, programmers, app content specialists, digital marketers, and project managers specialized in developing mobile apps on multiple platforms. Using state-of-art techniques we build robust, intuitive, best-in-class apps that are aligned with your business objectives and help you reach out to your clients efficiently.
| Mobile apps are integral to the success of a business. With technology and innovation, Siam Computing helps you deliver the best mobile app experiences to your customers. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated. |
