5 Popular Programming Languages for Mobile App Development in the UK

Because mobile application development has become such a crucial part of every business’s digital marketing strategy, there are now thousands of tools and technologies available to help you build the best mobile apps possible. However, with so many options on the table, it can be difficult to know which programming language to use when building an app for iOS or Android. With that in mind, here’s our list of 5 popular programming languages used by UK-based developers when building mobile apps in 2016/17.

1) Objective-C

Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language. It is an extension of C and provides object-oriented capabilities and a dynamic runtime. Objective-C inherits from its predecessor, but also adds more modern features to improve programmer productivity without sacrificing performance. It’s a great fit for writing applications on iOS devices (like iPhones or iPads) and Apple computers like Macs or MacBooks. The platform has fantastic community support as well as excellent documentation so you won’t be stuck if you run into any problems along your path to mobile app development. Plus, it’s actually quite easy to learn if you are familiar with C or another object oriented programming language like Java or C++.

2) Java

Java app development was initially developed by Sun Microsystems. However, Oracle bought out Java in 2010. The language is extremely flexible and can be used on most computer systems, whether it’s a Mac or PC. The downside of Java is that it takes longer to code than other languages such as Python and Ruby. Apps can range from simple games to apps with complex mechanics and behaviors.

3) Swift

Swift is a programming language created by Apple that was built from the ground up for creating iOS and OS X apps. Swift’s syntax is modern and takes after languages like Python, with its code being shorter than traditional Objective C syntax, which makes it easier to learn for new coders. Some argue that since it was made by Apple, Swift may get preferential treatment if you’re making an app for iOS or Mac devices. It can also be used on Android with Google’s Native Development Kit (NDK), but does not currently offer cross-platform development.

4) JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language created by Netscape to be used alongside HTML. It is designed specifically to enable programmers to build more interactive and visually-appealing webpages. JavaScript can be used in both client-side applications (applications run from within a user’s web browser) and server-side applications (applications that exist on a remote server, accessed through your browser). This means you can use JavaScript to run certain functions within a website or app, but also programs that would otherwise have been impossible. In mobile app development, JavaScript is often used as part of hybrid applications (mobiles apps built with web technologies), which combine traditional programming languages like C++ or Java with an application framework like Cordova or PhoneGap. JavaScript is considered a high-level language because it runs on many browsers and operates using one language.

5) Python

Python is one of several programming languages that make up a class called object-oriented languages. Unlike most other popular programming languages, Python uses indentation (instead of curly braces) to mark blocks within a program; this is often cited as one reason that it’s simpler to write than many other programming languages by app development companies in UK. Because Python is an open-source language, there are multiple versions out there; however, since 2008, all official development has been done via a single version known as Python 2.7.