Since the Kotlin programming language is a newer language than Java, Kotlin language is currently used for the development and programming of Android applications. In this section, we would like to introduce the Kotlin programming language and enumerate the advantages of the Kotlin programming language and the best language. To identify Android programming, we are also going to show you the use of Kotlin programming language.
Kotlin is a programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine. It can also be compiled into JavaScript source code or machine code. According to the official Kotlin website: Kotlin is a modern programming language that makes its developers happy. It was first developed by the Jet Brains team of programmers. Located in St. Petersburg, Russia. (The name comes from Katlin Island near St. Petersburg.) Katlin was chosen as the Language of the Month in January 2012.
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Why should we choose Kotlin programming language?
The Kotlin programming language is a fully functional, open-source, and free programming language, originally designed for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and Android, and combines the features of object-oriented and functional programming. This program is focused on interoperability, security, clarity, and tool support. Kotlin can be used for any type of development, including a web server, client web, and Android. Using Kotlin/Native, support for other operating systems is available such as embedded systems, macOS, and iOS.
On May 17, 2017, Google announced its first-class support for Kotlin, meaning that Kotlin became the official Android app development language. Since then, JetBrains has proven that Kotlin can be used to write iOS apps as well. Successfully used, the official KotlinConf 2017 app was built entirely in Kotlin and supports iOS, Android, as well as most browsers through its web app. With growing support for both major mobile platforms, Kotlin continues to grow in popularity. Slow and it seems that its future is not limited to Android only.
Comparison of Kotlin programming language with Java
While the rules of the language are not compatible with Java, which is usually used to develop applications for the Android operating system, Kotlin can work with Java code. In other words, code written in Kotlin works naturally with Java.
Kotlin uses aggressive inference to determine types of values and expressions. Despite being introduced in 2011, the Kotlin language gained the attention of the global community immediately after announcing official support as the first-class Android development language. To be honest, companies’ Technology leaders such as Atlassian, Uber, and Pinterest started using Kotlin long before official support for Android application development.
Kotlin is a modern and powerful language that has many useful features. It is much more expressive and concise than Java. While Java has earned its reputation as a robust and reliable technology, it lacks many features and is slowly becoming obsolete, making Kotlin an excellent candidate for It introduces its replacement.
Kotlin is very similar to Apple’s Swift in terms of ideas and goals. The similarities between the two languages help Android and iOS developers easily switch between developing for each operating system.
When it comes to purely technical benefits, Kotlin offers first-class support for functional programming, even though it is primarily object-oriented, making the most of both paradigms and offering new programming possibilities. From Android and more recently iOS, Kotlin is also great for JVM development, facilitating the creation of desktop, web, and server-side applications using established Java frameworks such as Spring, Vaadin, Spark, Hadoop, etc. In addition, you can type fixed-form programs using the Kotlin to JavaScript compiler. As a result, you can create Node.js applications using Kotlin. Learning Kotlin provides you with a universal tool that you will be able to use for all kinds of development. It should also be noted that Kotlin is still under further development, so it can be expected to improve over time.
The language developers are experimenting with Kotlin/Native, which compiles Kotlin code into native binaries. It allows us to develop applications for Linux, Windows, or macOS. But there is more, the JetBrains team is working on Kotlin Multiplatform. This is exciting news because thanks to this technology we will be able to develop cross-platform applications with a common codebase, for example, Android and iOS applications. As you can see, the future looks bright for Kotlin development companies.
Advantages of Kotlin programming language
- The language is clear and concise.
- More work can be done because it takes fewer lines and less code to write and takes less time than Java.
- The Jet Brains team is constantly improving the language. The company is committed to the project, a large and fully competent team is working on it, and it has a sustainable business model.
- Kotlin is suitable for cross-platform development.
- Android development isn’t the only thing you can use Kotlin for. The language provides support and interoperability for JavaScript, enabling developers to port or build their backends to Kotlin from the very beginning of the project.
- Additionally, the founders added Gradle support so you can write Gradle files in Kotlin. They are actively developing Kotlin / Native which allows you to build iOS apps. This way, you can even write native programs in this language.
- Kotlin development provides more security.
- Another reason is the higher level of safety of Kotlin compared to Java.
Business benefits of switching to Kotlin
- Program maintenance becomes easier and cheaper.
- Kotlin also facilitates faster development.
- It is less buggy because Kotlin provides a much clearer and more compact codebase, which makes the code more stable and consistent at production time. Bugs are detected at compile time, so developers can fix errors before runtime.
- It is also compatible with existing Java code.
Kotlin is a 100% interoperable programming language with Java. It is compatible with Java and all related tools and frameworks, allowing for step-by-step Kotlin conversion. If your product can’t be written only in Kotlin, both languages can be used easily at the same time.
Disadvantages of the Kotlin programming language
Nothing is perfect and Kathleen is no exception. So don’t rush to use it before considering its disadvantages. Although Kotlin and Java are similar, they are two different languages. If you change your company’s way of developing Android applications, you will need to spend more on training the team to learn Kotlin because developers will not be able to learn Kotlin without spending a lot of time and quickly switching from one to another.