The Ultimate Guide towards becoming an Android Software Developer in 2021
It is no news that Software Development and Engineering is a thriving career path in the 21st Century. However, people who wish to kick-start a career in this field often get confused about where and how to get started.
In this article, I will be highlighting the skills required to become a Software Engineer in this ever changing world of information technology. While Also provide resources on How to get started in Android development.
Disclaimer: Android is one of the trickiest /and slightly difficult platform to get started with. However, If you would really love Mobile Application development, Android is the most interesting platform to develop for at the moment
Who is a Software Engineer/Developer?
Well, I won’t be talking much about this as it is not the main objective of this article. Basically, Software Engineers are career professionals who are involved in the Design, Development, and Maintenance of Software.
There are however different kinds of Software Engineers based on the platforms they develop for, this platform includes (but not limited to):
Android
iOS
Web
Technical Skills needed
To become a Software Engineer their are technical requirement needed which includes :
Proficiency in one or two programming languages: This is actually one of the most difficult parts, as beginners are often confused about which programming language to learn. There are numerous programming languages out there, according to Wikipedia there are about seven hundred of them with some considered extinct while new ones are constantly being developed. However, some languages are largely adopted for development on certain platforms- Android developer uses Java/Kotlin while iOS developers mostly use Swift(programing language).
Ability to build elegant and intuitive User Interface: This is a vital skill in Software development. However, Some software engineers really do not need to be perfect in this. Most especially if you’re are going to be specializing in the development of server-side (backend) applications which happen to be a subset of Web Development. But basic understandings of how things were put together to make a User Interface are needed
Ability Store and Retrieve Data From a Database: This process often varies across different platforms. However, as a Software Engineer in the 21st century, you must be proficient in the use of Structured Query Language (SQL) which is a programming language used in communicating to databases.
Ability to use Version Control Systems -In software engineering, version control is a class of systems responsible for managing changes to computer programs, documents, large web sites, or other collections of information. There are basically three types of them:
Local Version Control System
Centralized Version Control System
Distributed Version Control System
I will not be writing in detail about this. However, to be a Software Engineer in this century you need to be comfortable with the use of Git and GitHub for Version Controlling.
Connecting and making Network calls to a Server: This is the most important skill in the tool belt of Software Engineers. We are in the information age where the internet has played a significant roll in our lives, Most software being produced today are designed for end-users, and the only best way to make this software available on the internet. However, the process of making internet calls varies across different platforms
With all this Skillset in your to belt, Then you’re Good to go. Interestingly, you do not need to master this on all platform you! You only need to choose a platform!
While I will be providing resources to help you get started on android. There are also unlimited resources out there to help you get started on other platforms.
Deep Dive into Android
Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.-wikipedia
Android is the most popular Operating system platform for mobile devices with approximately 72.92 percent of the total mobile OS market share. This largely due to the open-source nature of the mobile device, this simply means a user has the opportunity of getting access to the entire OS codebase and even modify it to their own taste. Android is presently owned and managed by Google
The major language needed for android Development is Java, Kotlin, and sometimes C++. However, Google announced that it will be providing first-class support for Kotlin on Android at its 2017 I/O conference. Hence, the widely adoption of Kotlin for android development. while a lot of applications are being written in Kotlin it is also important for an Android Engineer to be Skilled in Java as there are still a lot of legacy codebases written in Java. It is also worthy to mention that Kotlin syntaxes are very similar to Java therefore having a good mastery of Java will help in easy migration to Kotlin
Below are links to courses that can help you kick-start your career as an android developer
Java: These are free resources to help you get started in this language
SoloLearn — If you're the type that easily gets bored by video tutorials then this course is for you, It provides the best “Learning x Doing experience”
How to install Andriod Studio- Udacity
Udacity’s Java Programing Basics course
Udacity’s Android Basics — User Interface
Udacity’s Android Basics -User Input
Udacity’s Android Basics- MultiScreen App
Udacity’s Android Basics -Networking
Udacity’s Android Basics- Data Storage
Udacity’s Material Design for Android Devleoper
Udacity’s Developing Android APP
Let Move To The Awesome Kotlin
Kotlin Boot camp for Programmers
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Firebase in a Weekend(Android)
Note: The resources provided above are completely Free and are the ones I have personally used, which I perceive ideal for bingers. They are also developed in collaboration with Google.
However, If you will Like to take a certification course, then Udacity’s Android Nano-degree is all you need.
Google also offers a professional Associate Android Developer Certification
To keep up to date with the constantly evolving world of android development and practice and on experience on best practices follow this Code lab
PS: This my first Tech related article, If you will like to make suggestions on how to make it better, Kindly drop a comment or hit me up on Twiter
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