What program/language should I use for an Android app

[Spartaton]

So I'm planning to make a mobile app (for android and maybe IOS) and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what language/program to use to write it. The only experience I have with coding so far is with scratch and Visual Basic so I was hoping for something simple (I already have the game coded on scratch so I can use that as a guide).

Here's what I need:

-sprites need to move (automatically) and bounce off edges

-need to detect when the screen is touched (control for movement, and for the menu)

-something where I can write a good size chunk of text (for the instructions, several lines)

-the ability to make lots of variables

-the ability to change the direction of a sprite (like from moving to the right to moving down) when it gets near the edge of the screen)

-the ability to change the size to match the size of the screen on the phone (if that's not an automatic thing)

 

I was also wondering if anyone knows how to add ads to the app (bars ads and pop ups, do I need to code it in myself or is there just some box I need to check when going through the process of getting it in the store)

[pureGold]

I believe Android apps are programmed in Java and iOS apps are programmed in Objective C or Swift. Correct me if I'm wrong please?

 

If you want to get a rough idea of your app, you can always use App Inventor. It's great for beginners.

[SpaceNugget]

java is your best bet but depending on what the goal of your app is, i would consider making it in css/html if you have more experience with that.

[Spartaton]

I spent some time on google after posting this, I'm probably just going to use Android Studio (which I'm pretty sure uses Java) to make it, but I'll probably make the game again in Greenfoot before then to learn a bit more about Java and how my code is going to look.

[AtheistJesus]

I've got some experience with making android apps and yes the newest and most common IDE for android development would be Android Studio, and yes it does use Java. I'd strongly recommend checking out the android developer guide as a basic tutorial on getting your feet wet with android development. If you're finding that tutorial a little too difficult, I'd also recommend the course by udacity, android development for beginners. Hope I helped!

 

Developer Guide: https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/index.html

 

Udacity Video Tutorial/Lessons: https://www.udacity.com/course/android-development-for-beginners--ud837

[Spartaton]

I've got some experience with making android apps and yes the newest and most common IDE for android development would be Android Studio, and yes it does use Java. I'd strongly recommend checking out the android developer guide as a basic tutorial on getting your feet wet with android development. If you're finding that tutorial a little too difficult, I'd also recommend the course by udacity, android development for beginners. Hope I helped!

 

Developer Guide: https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/index.html

 

Udacity Video Tutorial/Lessons: https://www.udacity.com/course/android-development-for-beginners--ud837

Thanks!

[Spartaton]

Well I finished downloading Android Studio, but when I go to launch it, a window quickly appears on my screen and then disappears and then there's no sign of the program being launched. Any ideas as to what's happening?

[vorticalbox]

http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu?

 

just like scratch (the drag and drop blocks) also has a companion app that makes your changes in real time. 

[DevBlox]

If you're going to make a game and aren't bent on writing the entire engine for it, use Unity. Otherwise I would go for something like Xamarin, or just plain Mono and write everything with C#. That is assuming you want to be able to reuse as much code as possible, since you have no chance of running Java code on an iPhone. Java is ok for Android, but it has performance issues on games in general, if you want to address those, you need to write native code applications on C or C++ (I reccomend C++ for a game), but don't worry about that if the game is going to be simple.

[Spartaton]

http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu?

 

just like scratch (the drag and drop blocks) also has a companion app that makes your changes in real time. 

 

I would use App Inventor, but you can't easily put ads on it, I did look into it and there's some convoluted way that doesn't work most of the time to put ads on it. Plus I wouldn't really learn anything new.

[Spartaton]

If you're going to make a game and aren't bent on writing the entire engine for it, use Unity. Otherwise I would go for something like Xamarin, or just plain Mono and write everything with C#. That is assuming you want to be able to reuse as much code as possible, since you have no chance of running Java code on an iPhone. Java is ok for Android, but it has performance issues on games in general, if you want to address those, you need to write native code applications on C or C++ (I reccomend C++ for a game), but don't worry about that if the game is going to be simple.

 

Well obviously I wouldn't be using Java to code for IOS (if I even do in the long run) as for complexity, the whole app is super simple so I think I'm just going to stick with Android Developer.

[vorticalbox]

I would use App Inventor, but you can't easily put ads on it, I did look into it and there's some convoluted way that doesn't work most of the time to put ads on it. Plus I wouldn't really learn anything new.

The way I did it was to create a browser that loads p.pw (like ad.fy) links with a button to close it after 5 seconds.

You still get the view and they don't need to follow the link. You can make it not allow you to follow links.

It's not the best way to do it but it is a way to do it.

[Spartaton]

The way I did it was to create a browser that loads p.pw (like ad.fy) links with a button to close it after 5 seconds.

You still get the view and they don't need to follow the link. You can make it not allow you to follow links.

It's not the best way to do it but it is a way to do it.

 

Well that's a lot simpler than the other way I found to put ads on App Inventor, but I think I'll stick with Android Developer for several reasons such as it's a new learning experience and you can't use App Inventor for IOS. Plus knowing Java opens up job opportunities whereas knowing how to use App Inventor doesn't.

[vorticalbox]

Well that's a lot simpler than the other way I found to put ads on App Inventor, but I think I'll stick with Android Developer for several reasons such as it's a new learning experience and you can't use App Inventor for IOS. Plus knowing Java opens up job opportunities whereas knowing how to use App Inventor doesn't.

true I did try getting android studio workings and i couldn't even get the default app to open in an emluater and quickly gave up lol. I did install xarmin as i know c# but had the same result.

 

Emulators just wouldn't open.

[gastew15]

Android iis codded in Java with a bunch of their built in library's. (Android is just a modified version of arm Linux with a java vm system running on top of it) Additonally you'll need to pick up some xml for the layout design, but that is really easy to learn. I would start developing on Android since you can buy a dev lisence for Android for around $20 and put up as many apps as you want, were as apple requires a fee for each app and a strict checking system of the app. Plus you can develop android apps on pretty much anything, were as apple dev software is locked down to apple products.

[Nuluvius]

What @DevBlox said is pretty much 'hitting the nail on the head'.

[TonyStark]

I would suggest to go with Android Studio, since its the official Google IDE for android and has good support. (Uses java/dalvik)