This document discusses mobile application development for Android. It covers the architecture and features of Android, the various layers in the Android OS, and Android Studio. It also summarizes the main programming languages that can be used for Android app development, including Java, Kotlin, C++, C#, and Python. Kotlin is now the official language for Android development, replacing Java, though Java is still widely used. The document provides details on using each of these languages for building Android apps.

1. 20MCE11
MOBILE APPLICATION
DEVELOPMENT

2. Syllabus

3. (Cont.,)

4. Android Version

5. Features of Android
• Storage
• Connectivity
• Messaging
• Media Support
• Hardware Support
• Multi Touch
• Multitasking
• Tethering

6. Architecture of Android

7. Android Devices in the Market

8. Various layers in Android OS

9. Android Studio
The Android Studio build system is based on
Gradle, and the Android Gradle plugin adds
several features that are specific to building
Android apps.

10. Version of the Android Gradle plugin is required for each version of Android
Studio
Android Studio version Required plugin version
Arctic Fox | 2020.3.1 3.1-7.0
Bumblebee | 2021.1.1 3.2-7.1
Chipmunk | 2021.2.1 3.2-7.2
Dolphin (2021.3.1) 7
Electric Eel (2022.1.1) 7.4.0

11. Programming Languages for Android App Development
Kotlin is the official language for Android, there
are many other languages that can be used for
Android App Development.
1. Java
Firstly Java was the official language for Android
App Development (but now it was replaced by
Kotlin) and consequently, it is the most used
language as well. Many of the apps in the Play
Store are built with Java, and it is also the most
supported language by Google. In addition to all
this, Java has a great online community for
support in case of any problems

12. (Cont.,)
2. Kotlin
Kotlin is the official language for Android App
Development declared by Google in 2019.
Kotlin is a cross-platform programming
language that may be used as an alternative
to Java for Android App Development. It has
also introduced as a secondary “official” Java
language in 2017. Kotlin can interoperate with
Java and it runs on the Java Virtual Machine.

13. (Cont.,)
3. C++
• C++ can be used for Android App Development
using the Android Native Development Kit(NDK).
However, an app cannot be created totally using
C++ and the NDK is used to implement parts of
the app in C++ native code. This helps in using
C++ code libraries for the app as required.
• While C++ is useful for Android App Development
in some cases, it is much more difficult to set up
and is much less flexible.

14. (Cont.,)
4. C#
• C# is quite similar to Java and so it is ideal for Android App
Development. Like Java, C# also implements garbage
collection so there are fewer chances of memory leaks. And
C# also has a cleaner and simpler syntax than Java which
makes coding with it comparatively easier.
• Earlier, the biggest drawback of C# was that it could run
only on Windows systems as it used the .NET Framework.
However, this problem was handled by Xamarin. Android
(formerly Mono for Android) is a cross-platform
implementation of the Common Language Infrastructure.
Now, Xamarin. Android tools can be used to write native
Android apps and share the code across multiple
platforms.

15. (Cont.,)
5. Python
• Python can be used for Android App
Development even though Android doesn’t
support native Python development. This can be
done using various tools that convert the Python
apps into Android Packages that can run on
Android devices.
• An example of this is Kivy which is an open-
source Python library used for developing mobile
apps. It supports Android and also encourages
rapid app development