Mobile App Programming
Nowadays, programming isn't limited to what you can access on your computer -- but also what you can find on your mobile phones, smart phones, iPhones, BlackBerries and Androids. The marvel of programming may be at work in the palms of your hands or in your pockets.
According to The International Telecommunication Union, there would have been over 5 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2010, which is equivalent to roughly three-quarters of the world's population having mobile subcriptions (International Telecommunication Union). Of course, not all of these mobile subscriptions are on a smart phone, leaving much potential for the smart phone market to grow in the future and eventually eclipse standard mobile phones. According to the International Data Corporation, just over 300 million smart phones were shipped in the year 2010 (International Data Corporation). Just as computers and laptops have grown in number over the decades, it would be safe to assume that the number of smart phones will continue to increase; especially since there are still billions of subscribers who have not yet upgraded their phones to the next level.
Thus, the continued expansion of the mobile and smart phone market creates ample opportunity for developers to build new applications. Smart phones especially will have advanced capabilities and potential for more complex apps. For instance, the Android has an open-source framework, and its SDK (Software Development Kit) readily enables developers to create. Moreover, the ever-popular iPhone and iPad platforms allow people of all ages to program apps of all types.
Like computers, each mobile device has its unique operating system and will all require different sets of programming languages to design applications. For instance, one such operating system is the WebOS, which is based on Linux. HTML 5, JavaScript, and CSS are some of the languages which are supported by WebOS. Windows Phone 7, on the other hand, requires more use of C# or C++.
In general, commonly used languages for app programming today include C, C++, HTML 5 and JavaScript.
Undoubtedly, the usefulness of knowing how to program in certain languages will be an invaluable skill set as technology continues to evolve. You don't necessarily need a major in computer science to program an app -- and as real-life cases have shown, you don't even need to have finished high school to produce a successful app. There is no age minimum or limit to when you can start developing one. Apps are all about functionality and marketability.
How, then, does the mobile app programming relate to a computer science degree? You will find that traditional computer science degrees most likely don't have a requirement for mobile app programming at the present, but as the times progress, degrees may eventually expand their course curricula and requirements.
Sources:
International Telecommunication Union