Java has been the primary language for Android development for many years. It is an object-oriented, class-based language known for its portability and widespread adoption. Java offers a large and active developer community, excellent documentation, and a vast array of libraries and frameworks for Android development. It's a good choice for beginners. While Java remains popular, newer languages like Kotlin have gained momentum for Android development due to their more modern features and concise syntax.
Kotlin is a statically-typed, cross-platform language developed by JetBrains. It was officially endorsed by Google as a first-class language for Android development in 2017. Kotlin is designed to be more concise, expressive, and safer than Java. It reduces boilerplate code and null pointer exceptions, making development faster and less error-prone. Kotlin is rapidly gaining popularity, and many Android developers have transitioned to it. Google has been actively promoting Kotlin as the preferred language for Android app development.
C++ is a versatile, high-performance programming language. While not as common as Java or Kotlin for Android app development, it can be used for specific purposes. C++ is suitable for performance-critical tasks, such as game development, image processing, and 3D graphics. It can be integrated with Android apps using the Android NDK (Native Development Kit). C++ is known for its complexity and potential for memory management issues, so it's often reserved for advanced developers with specific needs.
Dart is the primary programming language for developing apps using the Flutter framework. Flutter is a UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Dart is known for its simplicity and ease of learning. It's designed for building smooth and responsive user interfaces, making it a popular choice for cross-platform app development with Flutter. If you're planning to develop exclusively for Android, Kotlin or Java may be more suitable. Dart is primarily associated with Flutter and is not as widely adopted for standalone Android app development.
While not as common as the languages mentioned above, Python can be used for Android app development through frameworks like Kivy. Kivy is an open-source Python library for developing multitouch applications. Python is known for its readability and ease of use. It's a suitable choice if you're already familiar with Python and want to explore Android app development. Python-based Android apps may have limitations in terms of performance and access to certain Android features compared to native Kotlin or Java apps.