Becoming an Android developer is much like becoming a developer on any other platform or operating system. It requires some background in programming or development, but like learning foreign languages, once you have mastered one, learning a new one is less difficult. To become an Android developer, you will need one of the programs that allow you to develop new applications regardless of your skills as a programmer.
Gone are the days when a developer has to learn and master the machine code associated with the computer or device for which they want to develop. Now any device, operating system or application that is open to outside development will have a software development kit (SDK) or application programming interface (API) available. These systems give the developer all of the tools they need to write programs for that device.
With these tools, developers are given access to the functions and interfaces that are the building blocks of an application. It still requires programming knowledge, but the developer doesn’t have to know the intricate details of the interface and functions. Many programs and devices support an open source philosophy and encourage developers by making these tools available.
The Android Development Team released a software development kit in 2007. This SDK has been refined over the years and is based on the Java Development Platform, so any programmer familiar with Java will have a head start when trying to become an Android developer. The SDK is available to run on Windows, Apple and Linux Operating Systems. The SDK is available online.
If you have a little less programming skill but want to become an Android developer, Google™ – the developer of Android, an operating system for mobile devices – introduced the App Inventor for Android in July 2010. This system is web-based, so it can be used by anyone anywhere. The system was developed with the beginning developer in mind and although still Java-based, it has a visual development interface that makes designing and building apps for the Android much easier.
Developing an app for Android for your personal use adds great value to a mobile device and can be a rich and rewarding experience. What makes Android more unique however is that after you become an Android developer, you can upload and sell your nifty new app to the general public online. There are online markets that feature both free and priced Android apps, and developers can receive a share of the revenues when their apps are sold.
