Essential Skills you ought to learn to become an Android Developer

• Building an android application requires a very deep understanding of the programming basics and design. When you are approaching a new technology for the very first time, it often helps to break it down into pieces or modules to make your work a bit easier. If you are an experienced web developer, many of the concepts and technologies involved in Android app development front will be analogous to things you already know – although building applications for mobile devices often requires a mastery of a number of skills and knowledge. Mobile devices have comparatively smaller screens, simpler processors, and also – in the case of Android operating system– many different manufacturers need to keep code very flexible and account for various user interface scenarios.
• Now the question that arises is, ‘What does it take to become an Android developer?’

In this blog you will be coming across 7 skills that are essential for you to possess and master if you aspire to become an android app developer. Let us dive right into the juicy details without any further ado.

1. Java

• Java is a programming language that underpins all of the Android development. For those of you who have gained most of their programming experience in languages like JavaScript and Ruby, there can be a learning curve when you are picking up the Java programming language for the very first time.
• Like JavaScript and Ruby, Java is an object-oriented programming language, but it is also a bit stricter about the handling of data types. Developers have to be a lot more thoughtful with their code, the process of defining the types of data their mobile applications plan to work with and more carefully and precisely allocating scarce memory resources.
• According to James Traver, “You cannot afford to have ambiguity in a mobile environment, and Java makes sure that there’s no confusion about what each component of your application is trying to do,”
• “You end up writing less code, but your code is more elegant and precise.”

Let us move onto the next essential skill you need to possess in order to become an android app developer.

2. You need to have an Understanding of XML

• XML was created as a standard way to facilitate the encoding of data for internet-based mobile applications. It is a structured markup language, it shares many of the features in common with HTML – you may recognize the angled brackets, the <opening> and </closing> tag types, and also the deep nesting of elements.
• In short, it enables the information to be passed between devices in a way that can be comprehended consistently. In the world of android apps, developers use XML to create the layouts that serve as the foundational UI definition for the Android apps.
• Developers can also use Java to write the code that modifies layout elements once the Android application is already running, in the very same way that web developers make use of JavaScript to modify and alter the elements in their website at the runtime. But mastering the basics of XML is a very important skill for you as an Android developer.

Let us proceed further with the next skill:

3. Android SDK

• SDK stands for Software Development Kit, which, though it may conjure up images of a briefcase that is filled with spy tools, is actually just a fancier name for a set of pre-packaged code. The Android SDKs are modules of the Java code that gives the developers access to the mobile device functions like the camera and accelerometer.
• One of the key components of the Android SDK is a library called Gradle. Let us say that you want to integrate and consolidate a social media platform like Instagram with your app. You would download a code library (or an SDK) from Instagram, and then tell Gradle that you will be using it so that when your application compiles, your code will stay well organized. New Android developers will spend majority of their time discovering how the various SDKs for Android can be combined together in different ways so as to put together an Android application.
• While this will a huge chunk your time, each Android SDK comes with many examples and instances that can be found in the official documentation, making it easier to understand what each package does and how to plug it into your app.

Now let us move forward and read about the next skill in line you need to possess in order to become a successful android app developer.

4. Android Studio

• The integrated development environment (IDE) of choice for the Android developers is known as Android Studio. Android Studio is built on top of the well-known IntelliJ IDE, and it comes with great and innovative support for many of the most common Android SDKs.
• Android Studio also features many of the capabilities that the developers expect from a full-featured IDE. Code completion enables you to make auto-complete suggestions as you are typing. Code debuggers let you step through to your code to identify the source of errors and bugs.
• There are even more advanced tools like the memory and CPU monitors, that work towards helping developers ensure that their code will maintain high performance on a mobile device. Android Studio is a must have for the beginners as well as the experienced Android developer.

There are also three more essential skills:

1. APIS,
2. Databases and,
3. Material design.

• You also need to possess these skills along with a few more skills that will ensure your place in the market of android app developers.

Thank you very much for reading this blog! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day! All the best to you for commencing your journey in the world of android.

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