What programming language is WhatsApp written in - briefly?
WhatsApp is primarily written in the Erlang programming language. This choice was made due to its robustness and ability to handle high volumes of traffic efficiently.
What programming language is WhatsApp written in - in detail?
WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging platforms globally, is primarily developed using several programming languages and technologies. The core infrastructure of WhatsApp's backend services is predominantly built with Erlang, a concurrent, general-purpose programming language used to build scalable and fault-tolerant systems. Erlang's ability to handle millions of simultaneous connections makes it an ideal choice for real-time communication applications like WhatsApp.
On the frontend side, both iOS and Android versions of the WhatsApp application are developed using native programming languages specific to each platform. For iOS, Swift is used to build the application, taking advantage of Apple's ecosystem and development tools. On the other hand, the Android version of WhatsApp is developed using Java, which has been traditionally used for building Android applications before the introduction of Kotlin.
In addition to these primary languages, WhatsApp also leverages other technologies to enhance its functionality and user experience. For example, WhatsApp's web client, which allows users to access their messages from a desktop browser, is developed using JavaScript and React, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. This combination enables the web client to provide a seamless and responsive experience similar to the mobile applications.
Overall, WhatsApp employs a diverse set of programming languages and technologies tailored to specific components of its architecture. By utilizing Erlang for backend services, Swift for iOS development, Java for Android development, and JavaScript with React for the web client, WhatsApp ensures optimal performance, scalability, and user experience across different platforms.