The Complete App Development Roadmap [2024]

Summary

This video script outlines the journey to becoming a mobile app developer, focusing on the choice between native and cross-platform development. It discusses the pros and cons of each, highlighting the popular frameworks React Native and Flutter, and the importance of learning programming languages like Swift, Objective-C, Java, Kotlin, and Dart. The script also emphasizes the significance of mastering version control systems, understanding data structures and algorithms, and learning design patterns for a strong foundation in mobile development. It concludes with a roadmap for learning and a resource for further study, aiming to prepare viewers for an entry-level mobile developer role within 8-12 months.

Takeaways

• 📱 To become a mobile app developer, one must choose between native or cross-platform development approaches.
• 🌐 Native development offers full control and optimal performance but requires separate projects for different platforms.
• 🔄 Cross-platform development allows code reuse across platforms, potentially reducing development time and bug fixing efforts.
• 🛠️ For iOS native development, Swift is the modern and preferred language, while for Android, Kotlin is favored over Java.
• 🤖 React Native, released by Facebook, enables mobile app development with JavaScript and React, used by companies like Microsoft and Skype.
• 🎨 Flutter, developed by Google, uses Dart and has been adopted by apps like eBay and Alibaba for its powerful capabilities.
• 🌱 Compose Multiplatform by JetBrains uses Kotlin and has been used in apps like McDonald's and Netflix.
• 🏙️ .NET MAUI allows building native mobile and desktop apps with C# and .NET, introduced by Microsoft.
• 🔍 The best cross-platform framework depends on familiarity with certain languages and job opportunities availability.
• 📈 Learning either JavaScript for React Native or Dart for Flutter is recommended, with a study plan of 3-5 hours daily for about 2 months.
• 🔧 A strong foundation in data structures and algorithms is crucial and should not be overlooked, even for self-taught developers.
• 📘 Design patterns are essential for understanding object-oriented design principles and are often used in mobile frameworks.
• 🔗 Git is an essential tool for version control and collaboration in software development, with GitHub being a popular platform for hosting repositories.

Q & A

What are the two main approaches to mobile app development mentioned in the script?

The two main approaches to mobile app development mentioned are native development and cross-platform development. Native development allows building apps for a specific platform like iOS or Android, offering full control and optimal performance. Cross-platform development enables the reuse of code across different platforms, potentially reducing development time and bugs.

What are the downsides of native development according to the script?

The downside of native development is that if you want to build the same app for a different platform, you have to create a separate project in a different language and ecosystem, which means managing two separate projects and fixing bugs on both platforms.

Which programming languages are preferred for native iOS and Android app development?

For native iOS development, Swift is the modern and preferred language, while for Android, Kotlin is the modern and preferred language, with Java being the traditional choice.

What are some examples of cross-platform toolkits mentioned in the script?

The script mentions several cross-platform toolkits including React Native, Flutter, Compose Multiplatform, and .NET Multi-platform App UI (Maui).

What is React Native and which company released it?

React Native is a cross-platform toolkit that allows building mobile apps using JavaScript and React, a popular library for building web user interfaces. It was released by Facebook in 2015.

What is Flutter and which company is behind it?

Flutter is a cross-platform UI toolkit developed by Google. It uses the Dart programming language and was released in 2017. Apps built with Flutter include eBay, Alibaba, and Google Pay.

What is Compose Multiplatform and which company released it?

Compose Multiplatform is a newer cross-platform development toolkit released by JetBrains, the company behind IDEs like IntelliJ, PyCharm, and WebStorm. It uses the Kotlin programming language and has been used to build apps like McDonald's, Netflix, and Cash App.

Why do most companies prefer multiplatform development over native development?

Most companies prefer multiplatform development to reduce costs. It allows for the development of apps that can run on multiple platforms without the need to create separate projects and manage different codebases.

What factors should one consider when choosing a cross-platform framework according to the script?

When choosing a cross-platform framework, one should consider their familiarity with languages and technologies, as well as job opportunities in the market. For example, if one has web development skills, React Native might be a better choice, while those unfamiliar with JavaScript might prefer Flutter.

What is the importance of learning data structures and algorithms for mobile app development?

Data structures and algorithms are critical subjects that provide a strong foundation in programming and problem-solving. They are often covered in tech interviews, especially at big companies, and understanding them is essential for a successful career in mobile app development.

Why is learning design patterns important for mobile app developers?

Learning design patterns is important because they are proven solutions to common software design problems. Understanding design patterns gives developers a deeper understanding of object-oriented design principles and how mobile frameworks work under the hood.

What is the recommended study plan for learning a cross-platform framework according to the script?

The script suggests dedicating 3 to 5 hours every day to learn the essence of either JavaScript for React Native or Dart for Flutter. With consistent study, one can expect to grasp the necessary skills within about 2 months.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Essentials of Mobile App Development

This paragraph introduces the fundamental skills required to become a mobile app developer. It explains the two main approaches to app development: native and cross-platform. Native development offers full control over a specific platform, like iOS or Android, leading to superior performance and user experience, but requires separate projects for each platform. Cross-platform development allows for code reuse across different platforms, reducing development time and the number of bugs. The paragraph also outlines the programming languages used in native development, such as Objective C or Swift for iOS and Java or Kotlin for Android. It then discusses various cross-platform toolkits like React Native, Flutter, and others, providing examples of companies using these technologies. The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing the right framework based on personal familiarity with languages and job opportunities, and suggests that React Native and Flutter are the leading options for new developers.

05:01

🔧 Tools and Concepts for Aspiring Mobile Developers

The second paragraph delves into additional skills and tools necessary for mobile app development. It highlights the importance of version control systems like Git and GitHub for tracking code changes and collaboration. The speaker suggests that mastering the basics of Git can be achieved with a couple of weeks of practice. The paragraph also stresses the significance of understanding data structures and algorithms, which are often overlooked by self-taught programmers but are crucial for a strong foundation in programming and problem-solving. Design patterns are introduced as proven solutions to common software design problems, with a recommendation to study them to gain a deeper understanding of mobile frameworks. The speaker offers a course on design patterns using modern examples to aid learning. Finally, the paragraph concludes with advice on learning a mobile framework, suggesting that with dedication, one can become proficient in either Flutter or React Native within two months, and outlines a roadmap for becoming an entry-level mobile developer within 8 to 12 months.

Keywords

💡Mobile App Developer

A mobile app developer is a professional who designs, creates, and maintains applications for mobile devices. The role is central to the video's theme, which discusses the skills and tools necessary for becoming proficient in this field. The script mentions the importance of understanding native and cross-platform development, which are key aspects of mobile app development.

💡Native Development

Native development refers to the process of building an app specifically for a single platform, such as iOS or Android. This approach is highlighted in the script as one that offers full control over the platform's capabilities, leading to optimal performance and user experience. However, it requires separate projects for different platforms, which can be time-consuming and prone to more bugs.

💡Cross-Platform Development

Cross-platform development is the process of creating apps that can run on multiple platforms using a single codebase. The script emphasizes its benefits, such as reduced development time and the potential for fewer bugs, since a bug fixed in one place applies universally across platforms.

💡Objective-C

Objective-C is an older programming language used primarily for iOS development. The script positions it as an option for native iOS app development, but it also notes that Swift has become the more modern and preferred choice.

💡Swift

Swift is a modern programming language developed by Apple for iOS and macOS app development. The video script mentions it as the preferred language for native iOS app development, indicating its importance and popularity in the current mobile app development landscape.

💡Java

Java is a traditional programming language used for Android app development. In the script, it is presented as one of the options for native Android development, alongside Kotlin, which is described as the more modern and preferred choice.

💡Kotlin

Kotlin is a modern programming language that has become the preferred choice for Android app development due to its concise syntax and interoperability with Java. The script highlights it as a key language for native Android development.

💡React Native

React Native is a cross-platform development framework released by Facebook that allows developers to build mobile apps using JavaScript and React. The script mentions it as a popular choice with big-name companies like Microsoft and Skype using it for their apps, illustrating its widespread adoption and relevance in the industry.

💡Flutter

Flutter is a cross-platform UI toolkit developed by Google, which uses the Dart programming language. The video script describes it as a powerful and growing framework with examples of apps built using Flutter, such as eBay and Alibaba, showcasing its practical applications in the market.

💡Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform is a framework introduced by JetBrains that allows developers to share code across multiple platforms using the Kotlin language. The script positions it as a newcomer in the cross-platform development space, with notable apps like McDonald's and Netflix built using this technology.

💡MAUI

MAUI stands for .NET Multi-platform App UI and is introduced by Microsoft. It enables developers to build native mobile and desktop apps using C# and .NET. The script mentions it as a cross-platform development option, indicating the breadth of tools available for mobile app developers.

💡Version Control System

A version control system, such as Git, is a tool for tracking changes in code and collaborating with other developers. The script emphasizes its importance for every developer, highlighting its role in daily coding practices and its significance in the software development process.

💡Data Structures and Algorithms

Data structures and algorithms are fundamental concepts in computer science that involve organizing, storing, and manipulating data efficiently. The script stresses the importance of understanding these concepts for a strong foundation in programming and problem-solving, which is crucial for mobile app developers, especially when preparing for technical interviews.

💡Design Patterns

Design patterns are proven solutions to common software design problems, documented in the book 'Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software' by the Gang of Four. The script mentions them as essential knowledge for understanding object-oriented design principles and for gaining insights into how mobile frameworks operate internally.

Highlights

There are two main approaches to mobile app development: native and cross-platform.

Native development offers full control and optimal performance but requires separate projects for different platforms.

Cross-platform development allows code reuse across platforms, reducing development time and bug fixing.

For iOS native development, Swift is the modern and preferred language.

Java is traditional for Android native development, while Kotlin is the modern and preferred choice.

Cross-platform toolkits include React Native, Flutter, and Compose Multiplatform.

React Native, released by Facebook, uses JavaScript and React for mobile app development.

Flutter, a Google product, uses Dart and is known for its powerful capabilities and growing popularity.

Compose Multiplatform by JetBrains uses Kotlin and has been used by apps like McDonald's and Netflix.

MAUI, introduced by Microsoft, allows building native mobile and desktop apps using C# and .NET.

Most companies prefer multiplatform development to reduce costs, making native development less common.

There is no 'best' framework; the choice depends on familiarity with languages and job opportunities.

React Native and Flutter are often the top choices for mobile development jobs.

Dart is considered a nicer language to work with than JavaScript due to its modernity and lack of quirks.

A dedicated study plan of 3-5 hours daily can help grasp the essence of JavaScript or Dart in about 2 months.

A free supplementary PDF is available to break down specific concepts and includes project ideas for practice.

Learning a version control system like Git is essential for tracking code changes and collaboration.

Data structures and algorithms are fundamental to computer science and important for tech interviews.

Design patterns are proven solutions to common software design problems and are used in mobile frameworks.

Learning a mobile framework like Flutter or React Native can be achieved in about 2 months with a solid programming background.

A roadmap for learning mobile development suggests an 8-12 month timeline for entry-level job readiness.

Transcripts

to become a mobile app developer there

are five essential skills let's go over

them one by

one there are basically two ways to

build mobile apps native or

crossplatform with Native development we

can build an app that runs only on a

particular platform like iOS or Android

this approach gives us full control over

the capabilities of the target platform

resulting in great performance and the

best user experience however the

downside is that if you want to build

the same app for a different platform

form we have to create a separate

project in an entirely different

language and ecosystem this means two

separate projects and two sets of bugs

to fix that's where crossplatform or

multiplatform development comes to the

rescue with crossplatform development we

can reduce development Time by reusing

the same code for different platforms

and potentially reduce bugs fixing a bug

once means it's fixed across multiple

platforms now for Native development we

have a few options for iOS we can use

Objective C which is an older language

or Swift which is modern and preferred

for Android we can use Java which is a

traditional language or cotland which is

modern and preferred for crossplatform

development the option depends on the

framework or toolkit we use there are

several crossplatform toolkits like

react native flutter cotland

multiplatform Maui and a few others

let's dive into each one first off we

have react native which was released by

Facebook in 2015 this toolkit lets you

build mobile apps using JavaScript and

and react which is a popular library for

building web user interfaces some big

names using react native include

Microsoft Office scype and even Facebook

itself then we have flut which is a

Google product that came out in 2017

flut uses a programming language called

Dart which takes the best parts of

JavaScript Java and C some examples of

apps built with flutter are eBay Alibaba

and Google pay it's really powerful and

gaining a lot of traction now let's talk

about cotland multiplatform this is the

newest player released by jetbrains the

same company behind tools like intellig

pycharm and webstorm in my opinion the

best idees in the world it uses the

cotlin programming language which is a

modern language inspired by Java apps

like McDonald's Netflix and cash app are

built with cotton multiplatform finally

we have Maui which stands for net

multiplatform appui introduced by

Microsoft Maui allows you to build

native mobile and desktop apps using C

and . net these days most companies

prefer to use multiplatform development

to reduce their costs this means we can

rule out native development for now and

focus on cross-platform options now

which framework is the best well there

is no such a thing as the best framework

yes there are people out there like our

Superstar highly opinionated developer

Mr John Smith who swears by react native

but there are others with a different

opinion the reality is that neither of

these Frameworks is perfect each has its

own problems and quirks that you you

will discover once you start building

real applications Beyond YouTube

tutorials and the reason for that is

that they try to support two entirely

different platforms at the same time so

which crossplatform solution should you

choose well it depends on two things

first on what languages and Technologies

you're familiar with for example if

you're a c developer Maui might be the

easier route if you know web

Technologies like JavaScript and react

you might want to go for react native

it's an easier transition from web to

mobile development the other factor is

job opportunities there are often more

jobs available for react native and

flutter here you can see the number of

open positions for different types of

mobile app developers in the US now this

is the current situation here and maybe

different where you live maybe there are

more job opportunities for a flutter

developer so I recommend doing your own

research rather than taking my or

someone else's advice about which route

to choose but realistically if you're

looking for a career in Mobile

development you would have to choose

between react native and flutter if you

have basic web development skills react

native is a better route otherwise I

would recommend flutter because Dart

which is the programming language that

flutter uses is a nicer language to work

with than JavaScript it's more modern

and doesn't have the quirks and weird

Parts you find in JavaScript so decide

between JavaScript or Dart and commit to

a study plan I believe if you dedicate 3

to 5 hours every day you can learn the

essence of either of these languages in

about 2 months to help you on this

journey I've created a free

supplementary PDF that breaks down the

specific Concepts you need to learn for

each skill it also includes several

project ideas to help you practice and

apply what you have learned it's a great

resource to review your progress find

gaps in your knowledge and prepare for

interviews you can find the link in the

description Box by the way I have a

bunch of tutorials on this channel and

complete courses on my website if you're

looking for structur learning again

links are in the description box the

next thing you need to learn is a

Version Control System them like git git

is not a programming language it's a

tool we use to track changes to our code

and collaborate with others git and

GitHub which is a platform that hosts

git repositories are essential for every

developer now git has a ton of features

but you don't need to know them all for

everyday use think of it like the 8020

rule 80% of the time you use 20% of

git's features 1 to two weeks of

practice is enough to get up and running

now building mobile apps often involves

working with data structures and

implementing complex algorithms this is

where a lot of self-taught programmers

struggle because they try to skip ahead

and learn more and more languages and

tools without learning the fundamentals

of computer science data structures and

algorithms are critical subjects taught

to computer science students and they're

often covered in Tech interviews

especially at big companies like apple

Google and Microsoft while you can skip

this step and go to the next as someone

who has had the privilege of teaching

millions of people I highly recommend

you not to overlook this step otherwise

you're going to feel the pain later in

your career so spend 1 to 2 months

studying classic data structures and

algorithms this will give you a strong

foundation in programming and problem

solving the next thing I would recommend

learning which again a lot of

self-taught developers Miss is design

patterns design patterns are proven

solutions to Common software design

problems there are 23 classic design

patterns documented in the book design

patterns by the gang of four many of

these patterns are used in Mobile

Frameworks so learning them will give

you a deeper understanding of

object-oriented design principles and

how these mobile Frameworks work under

the hood now I have to tell you this

book is pretty old and written in C++

honestly it's a difficult read because

many of the examples in the book are dry

and not quite relevant to Modern

software that's why I've created a very

Hands-On and pragmatic course on this

topic where I use Java and modern

examples found in applications we use

every day you can see how design

patterns are used to solve problems in

modern applications whether you want to

take my course or use a different

resource I believe if you dedicate a few

hours every day you can have a pretty

solid understanding of design patterns

in about 2 months all right the next

thing you need to learn is a mobile

framework which we talked about before

for Dart you should learn flutter and

for JavaScript you should learn react

native assuming you have a solid

background in programming you can learn

either of these Frameworks in about 2

months so if you dedicated a few hours

every day and follow this road map

you'll have the necessary knowledge to

apply for an entry-level mobile

developer job in about 8 to 12 months if

you have any questions please let me

know in the comments below I'll do my

best to answer you right here or in my

future videos If you enjoyed this video

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