Are you fluent in JavaScript? Do you love Objective-C? It is obvious that the app development process involves a lot of planning and decision making- including what programming language to use.

Grace Handy of Mashable recently highlighted four of the many programming languages that development teams use to build apps. Here’s a breakdown:

Objective-C: This is supposedly the go-to language of iOS developers.

Advantages of using Objective-C include high performance allowing the developer to utilize the actual functions of the iOS device (i.e. camera, etc). Another advantage is that when you use Objective-C you can write universal apps for iPhone and iPad, and can easily match the feel of other iOS apps.

Major disadvantages include that an app cannot be scaled to other platforms (i.e. Windows, Android) as Objective –C is an “Apple Only” language. In addition, many feel that Objective-C is very difficult to learn.

JavaScript: The language of the web.

The Mashable list only had good things to say about JavaScript, implying that it will continue to grow, flourish and improve. Advantages of JavaScript are its ease of use and ability to help streamline development.

Node.js: The cloud language.

Like JavaScript, advantages of Node.js include ease of use.  Also, many of the utility functions are already written for you.

Ruby: A language suitable for functional programming of web apps.

The problem with Ruby is that developers assume that by using it they have developed a functional product. They believe that something is built into the language to “make it fast”, and fail to explore how exactly the app is actually running.

The disadvantages of Ruby reminds us of an important issue- choosing the right app programming language isn’t enough. Neither is researching cross-platform app design, or reviewing common pitfalls. Research and planning are important, but they won’t ensure that your app will run and function outside of the lab, and into the hands of your customers.

A programming language can’t promise that your app will not have bugs once you are finished, or if your app will function in in different locals or under pressure. These are problems that can only be uncovered through real world testing. It is important to determine the best programming language for you, but to remember that it is only one piece of the puzzle.

What programming language do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section.