Comparative Evaluation of Python Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) on Android Mobile Devices: Implications for Teaching Programming Concepts

Abstract

Programming is a major part of software engineering. There are many programming languages, paradigms, frameworks and Integrated development environment (IDE) software’s used to teach programming concepts today. Access to personal computers or computer  laboratories is poor or non-existent for students in developing countries due to socioeconomic challenges. One useful resource is the  growing availability of cheaper Android mobile devices in developing countries. With the right applications and editors, these mobile  devices can be used to practically teach programming with hands-on programming experience by students of these developing  countries. This article provides a comparative analysis of Python Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) available for mobile Android devices, focusing on their suitability for teaching programming concepts. The evaluation is conducted on five popular Python  IDEs tailored for Android mobile devices. It provides a comprehensive comparison of five popular mobile Python programming IDE  applications. The comparison covers their respective advantages and disadvantages, ease of use, installation, features, performance,  Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Random-Access Memory (RAM) resources usage. The study highlights the suitability of Pydroid 3 and  QPython 3x/Ox for novice learners operating resource-limited Android devices, whereas AIDE and Termux cater to individuals with  intermediate to advanced proficiency, particularly those equipped with more powerful Android devices. This discernment serves as a valuable resource for educators and learners alike, aiding them in making informed decisions when choosing the optimal tool for  imparting and acquiring programming concepts through Python on Android mobile platforms.