What mobile app development technologies do you need to learn?

When deciding whether to learn native or cross-platform mobile development, consider the following: 1. Understand Your Goals: - Are you focused on a specific platform (iOS or Android) or targeting both? 3. Explore Options: - Research native and cross-platform options, (Java, Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS) with frameworks like React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, etc. 4. Learn the Fundamentals: - Regardless of your choice, start by learning the fundamental programming languages and concepts used in mobile development. 5. Experiment and Build Projects: - Learning by doing is essential in mobile development. Eventually, your choice should align with your goals, project requirements, and the resources available to you.

To start with mobile app development, First you need to decide whether to go for native or cross-platform app development. The choice depends upon project requirement. Native -Building separate apps for each target platform like IOS and android using the platform-specific tools and languages(Swift or Objective-C for iOS, Kotlin or Java for Android). Pros: High performance via hardware interaction. Smooth UI aligned with platform design. Cons: More time, resources, maintenance. Cross-platform development means using a single codebase that can run on multiple platforms, such as React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin. Pros: Faster development, easier deployment, code reuse. Cons: Lower performance, compatibility problems, less customization.

Consider these key factors: 1) Engineering cost, 2) time to market, 3) performance, and 4) alignment with existing tech. Bigger companies often choose native solutions for better control and performance. But cross-platform makes sense in cases like rapid market entry and when your current web apps are cross-platform. Consider Uber Eats and Walmart, who embraced cross-platform methodologies to synchronize seamlessly with their pre-existing web ecosystems. While, Airbnb initially adopted a cross-platform strategy to expedite their market entry, but later realized developing incremental features was very difficult in cross-platform compared to native and pivoted

If you are building app for clients, always remove the tech from the conversation first. List the business requirements, and then the functional requirements. Client often want an app, or a Native app, when no app can be better for their need or market, or where an Hybrid app can do the work. If you really have to build an app, consider the tech stack from an external point of view: in my market, is it easy or hard, to find xamarin or react devs, for example.

In my opinion it does not matter if you start with a cross-platform framework or with one of the native frameworks. Independent from a framework being native or cross-platform each framework has its unique characteristics, features, pros and cons which based on my experience have much higher impact on what you are trying to achieve. Therefore it is more important to consider the pros and cons of each framework for what you are trying to achieve in your project. The reality is that even if you start with a cross-platform framework you still have to learn the platform specifics at some point anyway. Which in the end will make it easy to switch between the different frameworks, due to your understanding of the underlying platforms.

After choosing between native or cross-platform development, the next step is to determine the programming language to focus on. If you opt for native development, you have two choices: iOS development or Android development. For iOS development, learn Swift or Objective-C. For Android development, learn Java or Kotlin. These language recommendations correspond to the specific requirements of each platform's SDKs. If you opt for cross-platform development, language selection depends on the framework you choose (React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin). For React Native, learn JavaScript. For Flutter, learn Dart. For Xamarin, learn C#. These language recommendations correspond to the specific requirements of each development framework.

Actually, I'd like to add that learning multiple languages can be beneficial even within a single platform. For instance, while Swift is the primary language for iOS development, understanding Objective-C can help you maintain or work with legacy codebases. Similarly, if you're primarily a Kotlin developer for Android, having a good grasp of Java can be advantageous when interacting with certain libraries or when dealing with older projects.

If you're new to programming, here's a simple tip: focus on getting really good at one language, but also learn a bit about other languages along the way. It'll give you a strong foundation while keeping your options open.

If you want to learn native, I'd suggest with Swift for iOS and Kotlin for android. While Java is still popular, kotlin will soon supersede it so why not prepare for the future. For cross platform, any main language that platform use. But basic knowledge of core language of each platform will immensely help

When you are first starting with mobile development the choice of language is dictated by the framework you have chosen to work with. If you check all the modern languages used in mobile development Kotlin, Swift, React, Dart and even C#, you will find that these languages are closing the gaps and are getting really similar. I have been working with Kotlin, Swift and C# on a daily basis during the last year and worked with React, Dart and even NativeScript in the year before that. Each language has its unique characteristics, but in the end they are more similar then they are not.

The user interface holds immense significance in mobile app development. Navigating this landscape necessitates adeptness in crafting user experiences that are visually appealing, responsive, and intuitive across various devices and screen sizes. Learning the art of designing and implementing such interfaces is vital. For native development, mastery of platform-specific tools like Xcode, Interface Builder, Android Studio, and XML empowers you to create tailored user interfaces for iOS and Android. Alternatively, in the realm of cross-platform development, leveraging tools and libraries inherent to frameworks like React components for React Native and widgets for Flutter equips you to construct harmonious interfaces.

Being a mobile developer with "an eye for beauty" can make you stand out in a crowd. Developing mobile apps is all about creating amazing user experiences. This is something that can be learned through years of experience and research. Some people are more intuitive and will learn faster (maybe even become designers), some will need to invest more time in research and learning to get there.

A adesão aos padrões de interface do usuário (UI) é essencial no desenvolvimento de aplicativos móveis. Seguir esses padrões garante uma experiência consistente e satisfatória para os usuários, melhorando a usabilidade e aceitação do aplicativo. Tanto no desenvolvimento nativo quanto no multiplataforma, o uso de ferramentas e bibliotecas fornecidas pelas plataformas é fundamental para criar interfaces que se alinhem aos padrões estabelecidos pela Apple e pelo Google. Em resumo, seguir os padrões de UI contribui para o sucesso e a credibilidade do desenvolvedor no mercado móvel competitivo.

A interface do usuário (UI) de um aplicativo deve ser intuitiva, responsiva e esteticamente agradável, focando na facilidade de navegação, interação eficiente e acessibilidade, garantindo uma experiência positiva para o usuário final.

O conhecimento em backend, APIs e bancos de dados é crucial para desenvolvedores móveis. O backend garante o funcionamento adequado do aplicativo, as APIs permitem a comunicação com outros sistemas e serviços, e os bancos de dados garantem o armazenamento eficiente e seguro de dados. Essas habilidades são essenciais para criar aplicativos móveis robustos, eficientes e escaláveis, oferecendo uma experiência de usuário excepcional e mantendo-se competitivos no mercado móvel.

A noteworthy example of effective cross-platform UI design is Airbnb's use of React Native. Airbnb's app maintains a consistent UI and user experience across platforms while still adapting to the design guidelines of each platform. The key is to leverage platform-specific components and navigation patterns while also ensuring a unified brand identity. Additionally, staying updated on design trends and platform-specific guidelines is crucial. For instance, iOS and Android have distinct design patterns (like Material Design for Android and Human Interface Guidelines for iOS) that cater to the visual language of each platform. Adhering to these guidelines not only ensures a coherent experience but also facilitates familiarity for users.

Understanding backend and database management is integral to comprehensive mobile app development. Complementing the front end, these components orchestrate the app's logic, data handling, and communication. Navigating this realm entails learning technologies that align with your app's requirements, such as cloud services, APIs, web servers, and database systems. For instance, Firebase offers an encompassing cloud platform catering to various app needs like authentication, storage, database, and analytics. Similarly, RESTful APIs facilitate seamless communication with external systems using HTTP protocols.

Learning backend development is something that can actually increase frontend developer's efficiency and communication with other team members, especially backend team members. It can also be very helpful in adding estimates.

While simulators, emulators, and hot reloads are valuable tools, nothing quite compares to testing on actual devices. Real devices can uncover issues related to performance, memory usage, and hardware-specific behaviors that might not surface during emulation. Prioritize a diverse range of devices and screen sizes for your real-world testing to ensure compatibility across the user base.

Testing and debugging form the critical closing stages of mobile app development, ensuring app stability and functionality. Proficiency in employing platform-specific tools and techniques is paramount. In native development, leveraging integrated SDK features like simulators, emulators, debuggers, and testing frameworks streamlines this process. Meanwhile, cross-platform development offers tools within frameworks, such as hot reload and dev tools, aiding quick iteration. Supplementing these are external tools like crash reporting, performance monitoring, and user feedback mechanisms, offering valuable insights for refinement. Mastery of these testing and debugging practices is essential for delivering polished and reliable apps.

This is part of mobile development where native development shines before any cross platform framework. Much clearer error messages and debugging tools will help you discover narrow throats and potential performance issues. But as mentioned earlier, testing on real diverse devices including unit and integration tests will make life easier along the way.

Choose a framework with a strong and growing community. Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI are obvious choices since they are the 1st party solutions, but also React Native, Flutter and Xamarin/.NET MAUI have strong communities and are all backed by major player. A strong community will provide you with guidence through blogs, communities like StackOverflow and provide rich libraries of solutions in the form of code samples on Github, Open Source Packages/Libraries and even commercial solutions that will make your life easier in creating your first fully functional mobile app, since you do not have to re-invent the wheel.

Utilizing external tools and services can significantly enhance your testing and debugging efforts. Crash reporting tools like Firebase Crashlytics, performance monitoring services like New Relic, and user feedback platforms like UserVoice or Instabug provide valuable insights into your app's health and user satisfaction. Remember that testing and debugging are ongoing processes. Regularly revisit your testing strategies, especially as your app evolves and new features are added. By continually improving and optimizing your testing practices, you contribute to delivering a reliable and enjoyable user experience.

It seems the major part of the last activity is to deploying an Android or iOS app to the Play Store or App Store, where the major challenges can be faced before deployment and after deployment with user complaints.

Also consider learning no code and low code tools. This seems counter intuitive at first but it'll make sense in a while. With industry demanding crazy fast timelines to deliver on projects, it's getting tougher for developer's to keep up. With this in mind, using No Code and low code tools to fast track development of UI and other simple tasks, learning no code/low code tools will help you: 1. Develop your apps faster. 2. Keep up with the constant industry demands. 3. Be more productive. Some no code tools you can check out are: 1. Flutterflow 2. Bubble 3. Webflow Googling low code/no code tools for mobile apps will give you a longer list.