So you want to become an Android developer and live from that? let's find how to achieve this and what do you need to make the next app that will revolutionize our daily life in the pure style of Instagram or snapchat.
The main thing.
First of all, you must have a computer (pc or mac with anny OS) because this will be your instrument of work and learning and you'll need to make sure you've downloaded the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), and Android Studio, the official IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Android, to get started.
Or if you want to develop games on android or ios, or on any platform, maybe what you're looking for are tools like Unity or Unreal Engine but this is a topic for another post.
You can find more information about this tools in the official page of andoid here. If you want a brief introduction to this tools I leave you with the words of Google:
Android Studio provides the fastest tools for building apps on every type of Android device.
World-class code editing, debugging, performance tooling, a flexible build system, and an instant build/deploy system all allow you to focus on building unique and high quality apps.
Wait Wait, Why android?
Unquestionably it's the platform with more future and more market for now according to this image:
Ok Android, now what i do with these tools?
The answer is very simple: learn, learn, learn AND LEARN .
One of the things i learned most in my way as a developer is that hard work is what differentiates good programmers from not so good ones. The path of programming is slow but well rewarded
Success consists of 1% talent and 99% discipline
It does not matter if it's the first time you touch a computer or if you've never programmed a single line of code in your life. If you want to learn, you will learn.
What's next? How do i learn? I need money for this?
- Absolutely not
I am a physics student and I had to learn to program by my own means and everything I did without spending a penny from my pocket. Of course it's way too much easier if you pay a course but it's not strictly necessary.
There's a lot of courses, information, videos and books in the internet FOR FREE!. All you need is time, effort and dedication.
You can find, by example, a free Udemy Android course here
Or this game, for android, that introduces you to the subject of programming called Hacked
Exactly what i need to learn?
Java
Java is one of the most popular programming languages used by software developers today, so learning its ins and outs will stand you in good stead for work even beyond the Android platform.
SQL
You will have to manage databases of your users and the best way to do it is knowing the basics of SQL. Once you can write it, there won’t be any questions you can’t ask of your data.
Android Software Development Kit (SDK) and Android Studio
We present it at the beginning of this post and it is necessary to emphasize it. You must handle this IDE like the palm of your hand.
In conclusion, what do I need?
I'll let this table answer you
| What i need | What i dont |
|---|---|
| Discipline, confidence and hard work | procrastination |
| Thirst for Knowledge | everything that moves you away from your goal |
| Learn Java & SQL | Frustration & anxiety |
Of course this is a brief introduction of what it takes to become an android developer. In another post I will show you how to make your first "hello world" or even your first android APK!
I hope you liked this post, see you in another! :)