How to Become a Mobile App Developer (and other areas of programming!)

Apps for phones and tablets are very diverse: from simple games to banking applications. The developer will have to not only visualize the application according to the drawn design, but also to ensure that it is fully functional. Often, he is also required to prepare technical documentation and subsequent optimization and support.

The era of numerous operating systems for phones and smartphones has passed. Only iOS and Android remain afloat. And it is logical that there are different languages and development environments for these operating systems. You can choose one direction and develop in it. But in small companies with a small IT department, you are likely to have to work on an application for both systems. By the way, if you’re only thinking about how to become a programmer while studying at University, don’t hesitate to use write essay for me and focus on what’s important for you.

Development for iOS

Apple has very strict standards for applications (especially in terms of design). And although in fact, you can write programs in anything, the languages traditionally used are Swift or Objective-C. Moreover, the first is a standard for iOS applications and is quite popular. But Objective-C is becoming less and less popular. In addition, you need to be familiar with development environments (XCode, AppCode). And the use of frameworks can simplify and accelerate your work.

Development for Android

Despite the similarity of the sphere, developers of applications for Android have to use completely different tools. The standard development languages are Java and Kotlin. In addition, you have to learn how to work with databases (different dialects of SQL). A significant advantage of learning to develop for Android, but not iOS – the ability to use free software.

Studying GameDev

Work on games is much more extensive than it seems at first glance. Working out the architecture of the game, internal settings, character behavior, branching the plot, exchanging data with other players… the specifics of the work varies and from the variant of the chosen device: computer, console, or smartphone. When the phrase “creating games” for some reason the first thing people always think of are designers and 3D graphics artists. But the bugs and crashes in the game when you try to save are much more annoying than poorly animated objects. So programmers almost have a leading role in game making. To work in this field you will need extensive knowledge:

• C# or C++ languages;
• Knowledge of the game engines Unreal Engine or Unity;
• Knowledge of different areas of mathematics: trigonometry, algebra, probability theory, mechanics.
• It is also worth understanding the principles of 3D modeling, to correctly understand the tasks assigned by designers. Also, it is worth choosing a comfortable development environment (however, this also applies to programmers in other areas).

Software, Embedded development, and other areas of programming

Desktop-programmer creates software for Windows, Linux, and macOS. This could include programs for working with text or graphics, audio players, media file handlers, or even new development environments for other programmers.

The variety of operating systems and program topics allows you to choose which technologies to use for your work. For example, for writing software for Windows, several programming languages are suitable at once: Python, C++, and Java. They differ in the complexity of programming and productivity of the final product: the best way is to learn them all and choose the right one for a specific project. And for macOS, you need to know Swift and Objective-C (just like for iPhone applications).

Data Science is making predictions, machine learning, compiling algorithms, and collecting and analyzing incoming data. A Data Science specialist must first and foremost understand the laws of mathematical statistics and probability theory. The languages used in this field are Python, SAS, and R. The first one requires knowledge of additional libraries (Scikit-learn and Pandas) to fully work with data, and SAS and R are used just for analysis and visualization of different kinds of data and research.

We should not forget about the development of software for simpler devices. Nowadays, “smart” home appliances are gaining more and more momentum. In the manufacturing, medicine, and automobile industry the latest technologies are actively introduced. For all this equipment you also need to write programs, and it is engaged in Embedded-developer. He must have a good knowledge of C, C++, and assembly language. Besides this experts should understand circuitry, microcontrollers, and microprocessors. A special advantage will be the ability to assemble devices on their own.

Automation QA programmers automate software testing. Testers are a very important area in the IT sphere because they help to release a product ready for work. However, not all operations are feasible to perform manually: some will take hours of work. An Automation QA specialist prepares scripts and integrates tests using Java, Python, and JavaScript. It is more important for him not to write clean code the first time, but to properly understand the algorithms and testing theory.

Of course, one cannot ignore the 1C programmers. Almost any domestic business needs them because they are engaged in the maintenance and improvement of the accounting and trading programs of the 1C family. Their work depends on how correctly will display products on the site, send ready-made orders to customers, generate reports and payroll. In addition to the 1C language, you need to know the principles of databases to be a confident user of office programs and understand the basics of accounting.