Android Development Roadmap

Being an open-source Operating System, Android is widely used in mobile devices like tablets, smartphones, etc. Recently android is also being used in televisions, smart watches, etc. This is a linux based OS and various applications of varying uses are being built for android users. In this roadmap, we will see how you can start and become an expert in building such android apps for the huge number of users worldwide.

How to start Android Development?

In android development, there are mainly two parts: -

• XML- For UI design, presentation, layouts, etc.
• Java/Kotlin- For logic (working of button, storing data in databases, etc.)

Which language to use- Java or Kotlin?

This is usually the biggest confusion for a beginner, i.e., which language should he start with? Here, we will see the advantages of both the languages and you can select what is best for you.

Java-

Java is a very old and mature language, with a very strong community support, you will have the answer to almost any problems that you face. Java is the official language for Android development, so many of the apps that you will find in play store are written in Java. Also, if you are a college student, Java can be used for Data Structure and Algorithms, which can be beneficial for college placement.

Kotlin-

 Kotlin is the secondary official language for android development and is very similar to java. It runs on JVM, and is simpler to write than Java. Most of the new apps that are being developed are being written in Kotlin, also many old apps that were written in Java are gradually being converted to Kotlin. The simpler syntax and other benefits like avoidance of null pointer exception makes Kotlin a good end point to Android development for beginners.

What you need to learn in Android Development?

Programming-

As said earlier, you need a good knowledge of a programming language, be it Kotlin or Java. Various concepts such as Object-Oriented Programming, Callbacks, lambdas, Java collection frameworks are an absolute necessity of Android Development.

Android Studio-

Android Studio is the tool that you will use to develop you apps, so it is better to know your tools well. You need to learn about the file structure of android studio, functionalities like creating a project, building projects and apks, adding images to app, etc.

UI design-

Start building apps by designing UI using components such as TextView, Button, ImageView, ListView, RecylcerView, LinearLayout, etc. After learining about the basic UI design, you can learn further about Material Design, Toasts, etc.

Networking-

Networking in Android apps is needed in almost any app that you will use. All apps that use internet to run, like food delivery app, social media app, etc, are continuously making API calls. So, you need to be able to implement networking in the app to make a scalable app.

Data Storage-

Apps also need to locally store data and for this, a sound knowledge of data storage is necessary. Data can be stored in different types of storage systems- File system, Shared Preference, Databases.

Other topics-

After completing the basics of Android Development, you will be able to build apps with various features. But if you want to become a professional android developer, you will have to learn about implementation of concepts like Data privacy, Dependency Injection, Glide, Room, Model View ViewModel, etc. 

Version Control System-

After learning Android Development, you would surely like to build apps and work as a professional. In your professional life, you will need to collaborate with other developers. A technology that will help you in collaboration in not only android development, but also any other technology is Version Control System. Software like git and websites like github helps manage and track changes in code. Knowledge of git and github will be expected from you in an Android Development job.

If you want to be a good android developer, besides watching tutorials, you will need a lot of hand on practice of developing apps by building projects. It is only the practical knowledge that you gain while developing apps that will help you in developing your skills. So get you laptop and start coding and I wish you all the best in your journey of being an Android Developer.