Kotlin is an open-source language used to build Android Apps and is an alternative to Java. It was developed by JetBrains and crowned by Google as the standard IDE for Android. Kotlin has become a much-beloved programming language among developers and is quite popular among companies such as Netflix, Coursera, Expedia, Uber, and Pinterest. But why are so many brands and developers opting for Kotlin? Let us find out.
In 2017, Google began supporting Kotlin in its Android Studio IDE, which motivated developers to adopt Kotlin instead of Java. In 2019, Kotlin became Google’s preferred Android App Development language.
It is among one of the fastest-growing programming languages, and its demand is on the rise. Also, it has successfully secured its place in the top 10 list of the best programming languages.
Additionally, Kotlin is ready to kill Java, as many Java-written Android apps are being written again in Kotlin. Developers are reconsidering their approach to creating apps and are becoming the leading language to develop native Android apps.
The chart released by JetBrains, Kotlin users are expected to be 5M, and the average number of active developers per month in 2021 was 373,000. This number is increasing exponentially.
Furthermore, Kotlin is designed to improve productivity and is interoperable with Java which means both Java and Kotlin can share and use information.
Kotlin for Android App Development
Kotlin is a statically-typed programming language that runs on Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and is widely used to develop server-side applications, android applications, multiplatform mobile development, and much more. It resolves Java-related issues and focuses on simplifying the code, its flexibility, clarity, and transparency.
Design issues faced by Kotlin during Android App Development
Kotlin is the future of Android Development. It helps developers reduce the risk of future incompatibility and makes apps more scalable. But there are a few design issues faced by Kotlin. One of them is a null-type system. Kotlin developers faced many difficulties fixing platform types. But after a few iterations, the team solved the issue.
Advantages of Kotlin over Java
Kotlin has resolved many issues present within Java, such as type system controls. It has many modern features added, offers proper function types, and contains no Raw types. Let us see a few advantages of Kotlin over Java.
Easy Set Up: Kotlin Android studio is easy to set up. Firstly install the Kotlin plugin in Android Studio, then add the Kotlin classpath to Project Build.Gradle. The next step is to add the Kotlin library and apply Kotlin Plugins in your module Build.Gradle and you are ready to go. You can switch to Kotlin by clicking on Allow Kotlin Support.
Interoperability: Kotlin is highly advantageous as it is interoperable and compatible with Java. Developers are allowed to use both Java and Kotlin on the ongoing project. Furthermore, Kotlin lets developers use existing Java frameworks and features.
Minimal boilerplate code: Java uses a lot of unnecessary coding to write small codes or not-so-complex codes. Whereas, using Kotlin developer does not have to write unnecessary code and takes approximately eight times less coding than Java.
No null pointer exceptions: One of the main issues faced by the developers is the Null Pointer Exception, which is responsible for Android App crashes. This issue is resolved using Kotlin and is null-safe. It gives enough reason for developers to switch to Kotlin as fast as possible.
Easy to learn: Kotlin is easy to learn and understand when compared to Java. One can get the language only by putting in 24 hours of sincere work. The syntax is easy to understand and very simple to explain, which makes it more and more famous among developers. And can soon become the most dominant platform for Android Development.
Automatic conversion: Kotlin is an open-source language that makes it easy for developers to switch to Kotlin without much effort or time. Also, developers can use the Java-to-Kotlin converter tool, developed by JetBrains, making it more time-saving.
Extensions: Kotlin has many extensions, and the developers can use these extensions to make the development process easy and quick. It allows recovering views seamlessly from Activities and Fragments. An example is Synthetic extension.
Semicolon-free: One of the main advantages of Kotlin over Java is the use of a semicolon. If developers do not use a semicolon in Java, it raises syntax errors, but that is not the case with Kotlin. It is free from semicolons, and developers need not check for missing semicolons.
Reliability: Kotlin is safer and more reliable than Java. Kotlin gives fewer bugs, and the probability of errors is less. Developers can detect errors during compiling, which makes it easy to operate.
Decent support: It has been in the market for a long time, and developers can get support for the issues. There are a lot of developer communities that help developers use Kotlin functionality.
The benefits of adopting Kotlin
Businesses of all scales are making Kotlin their first preference to develop android apps, which can be the best decision an organization can make. Now let us discuss a few benefits that Kotlin offers to all developers. They are:
Enhanced code readability: One of the best reasons behind the popularity of Kotlin is its code readability. Kotlin is non-repetitive and ensures that there are fewer errors. Also, it made it easy for the developers to find and fix issues.
Community support: It is an open-source language supported by a large developer community. As an open-source language, developers can expect high-quality development and can take the help of fellow developers across the globe.
Great IDE support: Before the final release, Kotlin underwent many stages of alpha and beta improvements. It means that developers used Kotlin many times before its final-version release. Kotlin is a language with great features and great IDE support. The IDE plugin allows developers to use several popular features.
Easy Development: Kotlin is quite powerful compared to other languages. For example, Java has many drawbacks. Scala, another programming language, suffers from slow compilation time, whereas Kotlin requires a small library to write Android apps and does not require method count.
Swift Language for Android Application: A Kotlin project requires less time for its setup. It integrates with Android Studio and makes it fast for development. Android 2.3 requires a plugin to integrate. Kotlin can help debug easily. Many such features make it a fast and suitable language for android apps.
Reliable Development Process: Kotlin was developed in the beginning to fulfill the specific requirements of its parent company JetBrains. The company uses Kotlin for its line of products and offers practical value. Due to its features, Google supported and contributed to its development and made the development process extremely reliable. There are features like Kotlin Android Extensions, libraries like Anko, continuous library size optimizations, and build times added to Kotlin, showing JetBrain's commitment to further development for Android mobile app development.
More Versatile: Kotlin has shown its versatile nature among developers. It makes development easy and more efficient. Using new language allows developers to stay creative with the development process. It makes them more versatile, adding value to their profile.
Enhanced Reliability: Kotlin is more secure than Java. The main issue encountered in Java is its language design, leading to the extra effort of a developer. It is a time-consuming and costly process.
For example, nulls are the most error-prone points in Java, and 90% of errors are because of Null Pointer Exceptions. Whereas in Kotlin, Nulls do not exist. And defining a variable as Null is not allowed. And if Null is required, a developer needs to mention “?”, eliminating the Null pointer error in Kotlin.
Easy to learn: Kotlin is an easy and user-friendly language. It is easy to understand, learn, and write. Its features and easy syntax make it easy for a new programmer. If the coder knows Java, it is easy for them to understand. Kotlin opens up the possibilities for developers to be more creative and help them solve problems.
Enhanced Speed: One of the main benefits of using Kotlin is enhanced productivity and development speed. It is a more expressive syntax that reduces the need for boilerplate code. This language is easy to read and understand. Kotlin has safety features such as null safety, preventing null pointer exceptions.
These features help to reduce the time and debugging effort. Also, it eliminates the need for maintenance, which allows developers to focus on implementing new features and delivering high-quality code in less time.
Furthermore, the interoperability between Kotlin and Java allows developers to take advantage of Java features, further increasing the development speed.
Is Kotlin the future of Android Development?
Kotlin has improved syntax and safety features that make it more productive than Java and allows developers to leverage existing Java libraries. The factors associated with Kotlin make it a compelling choice for Android Development, and with time it is more likely to grow exponentially.
Conclusion:
Kotlin is more intuitive to the requirements and is an enterprise language. It mainly focuses on developing the Android ecosystem. Moreover, its features and clean syntax make it more language efficient, productive, and cost-effective. To use it, open Android studio, download the Kotlin plugin, run it, and make development easy.
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