The 7 Most Popular Programming Language For Mobile App Development

Today, human life is majorly dependent on mobile devices. We use our phones to browse the internet, talk to others, carry out online payments, and so on. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for mobile app development, and knowledge about mobile programming languages is becoming more and more important. Here are the 7 most popular mobile app development languages suggested by GCT Solution that you can use in your mobile app projects.

The best languages for mobile app development suggested by GCT Solutions, a top mobile app development company

1. Swift

2. Java

3. Objective-C

4. C++

5. C#

6. Dart

7. Kotlin

1. Swift

Swift has contemporary features geared for both mobile and desktop. Although the syntax of Swift is based on Objective- C, it significantly modifies the basic concepts from that language. Swift has a free-standing IDE called Xcode. It is type-safe and catches minor errors during compilation. Also, Swift has native error handling functionality and in-built memory management techniques like automatic reference counting (ARC).

Benefits of Swift

• Swift requires less code than other languages to accomplish the same task.
• The syntax is simple to learn.
• Numerous strong features, like type inference, generics, closures, quick compile times, and others, make coding easier and faster.
• Since the compiler is extremely intelligent, it may detect issues rapidly during compilation rather than requiring you to run your code before it does, which would cause delays in the mobile app design timeline later on.

Drawbacks of Swift

• It will take a significantly long time until you can construct an app because this language has a much steeper learning curve than other computer programming languages.
• Swift's code has a tendency to be verbose and can occasionally be more challenging to read. This is so because the language reads like English and was created with safety in mind.
• In comparison to other languages, Swift has considerably stricter type-checking, so if your code doesn't match the type you set, an error will appear and prohibit you from generating the app.
• Swift is only available for iOS development because Apple Inc. tightly controls the ecosystem, making it impossible for developers who work on Android devices to use it.

2. Java

Several of the world leading corporations use Java, one of the most popular programming languages. It's also extensively used for programming languages for Android apps. Java is a general-purpose language, which means it may be applied to a variety of situations. Because it can run on any machine having a JVM (Java Virtual Machine), it offers portability across several platforms and operating systems. If you wanted to create a car in Java, you could create a car object and use it to interact with other pieces of code inside your program. This is because Java is object-oriented, which allows you to write software that uses objects to represent things or actions in your program.

Benefits of Java

• Java is popular for code reusability and portability.
• Java codes can run in multiple environments, virtual machines, browsers, and different platforms.
• Java protects developers from issues inherent in native code, memory leaks, etc.
• It is a flexible, versatile, portable, and platform-independent programming language.

Drawbacks of Java

• Some bugs may occur while running JAVA in a virtual machine – JVM
• Poorly written class libraries and complex syntax in some cases
• Complex implementations due to poor garbage collection

3. Objective-C

An extended version of C language, Objective C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language with added features like Smalltalk-style messaging. The language supports both static and dynamic typing, and has an automatic garbage collector. To Objective-C it is easy to introspect objects. As a well-updated and mature programming language, Objective C is mainly used for macOS and iOS app development and operating systems.

Benefits of Objective-C

• Easy-to-learn and used by most of the developers
• A lot of legacy codes are included to support the nest coding style

Drawbacks of Objective-C

• Does not support any latest features which are then overcome by Swift
• Requires extended coding which is time-consuming

4. C++

C++ is a portable, high-level, and object-oriented programming language with facilities for low-level and generic memory management. It is quite simple to understand. C++ is used to create games, GUI-based programs, real-time mathematical simulations, financial apps, and other types of native and Android apps. Due to its ability to swiftly adapt to shifting technology or ecosystems, C++ is a popular choice for cloud computing programs.

Benefits of C++

• C++is fast and stable
• It has a vast pool of ready-to-use in-built libraries and compilers.
• There is not any garbage collector running in the background.
• The app can run on different platforms.

Drawback of C++

• It contains complex syntax, small standard library.
• C++ cannot support garbage collection or dynamic memory allocation.
• The object orientation is quite crucial.

5. C#

In general, C#, pronounced as “C-sharp”, is a modern, structured, and scalable programming language. This is another object-oriented, general-purpose programming language extensively used for mobile development, majorly for cross-platform and windows app development. C# has a function-rich library for programmers, ensures security of a program with type safe code, and is interoperable and updateable.

Benefits of C#

• C# is fast, easy-to-use, and quick to deploy
• C# eneric, strong typing, functional, imperative, declarative, component-oriented, and object-oriented.
• It is a simple, modern, and general-purpose language

Drawbacks of C#

• It is quite complex to understand
• As a case-sensitive language, confusion can happen even if there is a slight miss-match between even alphabets

6. Dart

Dart is a client-optimized and open-source programming language focusing on UI (user interface), productivity, and speed. It features asynchronous coding and is used on Flutter to smoothly make cross-platform mobile apps. Google developed Dart to accelerate app development on all the platforms. Dart is type safe and allows both static and dynamic typing.It provides a feature-rich library that simplifies core programming tasks. In addition, Dart has both just-in-time (JOT) and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilers.

Benefits of Dart

• It is easy to learn when used to C-style syntax
• Code can be shared across web and mobile apps

Drawbacks of Dart

• Many subs and generic domain packages might need to be written to support the core domain
• Backend (API/Server) focus is currently very low

7. Kotlin

Kotlin is an open-source programming language for mobile app development. Kotlin is regarded as the more sophisticated version of Java. It has a clean and compact syntax, and also supports operator overloading. Trello, Evernote, Coursera, are some examples of Kotlin integration.

The programming language Kotlin has the following benefits and drawbacks:

Benefits of Kotlin

• Syntax that is clear, succinct, and insightful improves team productivity.
• Kotlin is versatile and interoperable, and it can readily overcome JAVA's drawbacks.
• IDE installation kits, including the Android and SDK toolkit, have complete support from Google.
• It produces code that is simpler, simpler, and more compact than Java.

Drawbacks of Kotlin

• It is still a new language on the market and difficult to master.
• Kotlin occasionally runs slower.

Final thought

The field of programming languages is always evolving. Some programming languages, like Java and JavaScript, have been popular for a very long time, while others, like Kotlin and R, have grown to prominence rather quickly.

GCT Solutions works with businesses to implement AI solutions and build modern digital platforms that create measurable operational impact. Our capabilities across AI Services, AI Consulting, Platform Modernization and Software Engineering help organizations scale technology more effectively and accelerate digital transformation initiatives.