Should You Still Learn XML in 2022?

With Jetpack Compose we got an amazing new UI framework for Android. I use nothing else in my videos and the industry also slowly starts adapting to it. So, if you're a newbie in Android dev, is it still worth to learn XML or should you directly jump to Jetpack Compose? This video tells you the answer.

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[JuancaG]

Yep, I agree. XML is also useful to get a trauma the first time you develop a RecyclerView and then see how easy it is with Jetpack Compose 😁

[buszi_]

I fully agree that begginer has to start to learn Android with XML and it should not be omitted, but I don't really agree with your explanation why

Android development in most projects is not about building a new application from scratch, but more about creating new features for already developed ones or maintenance of them, and in the most work requests you will have to jump on the project and somehow fix the issues or know how to add new features to current code, and 99% of current projects are still developed with XML

Its just like the recent jump between RxJava and Coroutines, everyone nowadays uses Coroutines, but RxJava is frequently still a mandatory skill when applying for Android Dev job, because some of the "older" projects still use RxJava and you have to know how to approach it

[codinginflow]

Facebook was built with React. React is basically the same as Jetpack Compose. So Compose is the best way to build Facebook clone 🤯

[osisuper]

I started with XML too and I must say it’s helped my grow really fast ever since I resumed Compose. Compose is the way forward though, not going back to XML.

[lewvuittonov]

Totally agree, And also, I want to notice that most of internships from big companies (not faang necessarily, maybe some of your local big tech companies) use xml. And as a beginner, u definitelt want to get that internships, where all big projects are xml-based. Only few young startups use jetpack-compose (as a flutter also). And if u go straight to jetpack-compose firstly, u just cut ur scope of potential internship opportunities.

[kasemsm]

So I got my first freelancing offer and I choose to make the client apps with both, XML and Jetpack Compose. I realized that Compose is still not everything but It does it job very well at places where XML doesn't. I literally didn't have touched XML from almost a year but yeah, XML is not going anywhere soon.

[Abelmengesha-splv]

Philip bro 😍 your body transformation in 2023 was unnoticed.

[Exiide]

Part of the charm of using XML in Android studio is that you can place components in design mode and set properties directly from a table. So, one can clearly see the properties of various components in a tabular form.

[aksharshah]

Philipp, i appreciate you that you give us knowledgeable content i like that.

[morerishabh]

Even if Jetpack Compose is in stable, I definitely think it is not production ready yet!

The UI rendering performance still isn't onpar to it's XML Counterpart. In our company we deal with HUGE lists (10k to 20k items), and the good old RecyclerView with a custom adapter with Pagination logic in it, scrolls like butter smooth without breaking a sweat

The same I tried with the Jetpack Compose equivalent (think it was LazyColumn or some widget like that) and the scroll was SOOOO CHOPPY, that too in stable channel.. the company immediately deemed it as "Unacceptable App Performance"

So guess I'll be sticking with XML elements for a next 2-3 years or so, till Google can fix their mess. That's my experience with Jetpack Compose

[arturopastrana]

Thanks, I had that doubt, I'm starting on android, you took a load off me.

[AIejandroide]

Hi Philips, I would like to ask you something. If you use Jetpack Compose, what could be the reason for using more than one Activity/Fragment? If you can just swap composables by their states and stuff

[yendys]

if you dont use xml, you will never appreciate the power in Jetpack Compose

[OlegGolubev_yolo]

Hmm, xml separate boilerplate dirty code, from actual logic. Why do we need to mess them together, whats our profit except of following trends?

[profeinformatica]

Compose made some things very simple but there are also cases where classic approach with xml is easier.

[vectoralphaSec]

Does Jetpack Compose have the ability to make UI graphicaly GUI through design view like XML? I like the drag and drop.

[tomaszb]

recently i was talking with my work mate and give the same reason that he should start with xml UI :) So we have the same attitude to that :)

[vengateshm]

1. Create a web app in Jetpack compose and deploy
2. Use webview in ios and android to load the deployed app
3. For native platform stuffs like, showing popup, navigation to other screens use javascript callbacks

Advantages of this approach
1. One codebase for all
2. Unit tests in only one place
3. Quick changes and less mobile app deployments

This is suitable for apps which does not have more platform specific code like booking app, chat app etc., .

[mado]

Please Philipp can you make video about ci/cd and agile development

[yash]

3:47 link to the android funda playlist?