5 Reasons: Why Android Developers Love Kotlin

When we talk about Android app development, Java first comes to mind. Most apps use Java as their core language, but this is not the only option. You can develop your mobile apps in other languages compatible with Java and run on JVM. Yes, we are talking about Kotlin.

JetBrains developed Kotlin in 2017, and since then, many big companies like Pinterest, Uber and Evernote have shifted from Java to Kotlin. The large community of developers love Kotlin because of its interoperability with Java and ease of use. It has become the most eminent language for mobile app development.

Here we’ll go over the five reasons why Kotlin is one of the good things you can do for mobile app development.

What is the Problem with Java?

Now is the time you consider Kotlin over Java as your go-to language for Android App Development. But why should you try Kotlin when you are already familiar with Java? Here is some reason:

Java was introduced 20 years ago, and hence it has been stacking up a piece of legacy baggage, pulling it down — each new version of Java must be interoperable with the earlier one.

In brief, competing with newer, lighter, more concise, more expressive, and state-of-the-art feature-packed programming languages creates a bias against Java.

Kotlin is slowly replacing Java for Android app development, but Java is still considered the best language for Android development. Of course, it starts deteriorating and has some limitations. Kotlin has all the necessary modern features that Java mobile developers have been lacking, the features that have already shown their ability with large-scale and complex projects.

What is Kotlin?

Kotlin is an open-source, cross-platform, statically typed programming language. In 2011, a company named Jet Brains first introduced it in the market, and the first official release was in 2016. It runs on JVM, that’s why it can be used anywhere where Java is used; that means Kotlin and Java can be used side by side. The reason behind using Kotlin for mobile app development is it is easy to adopt and has all the advantages of modern programming language. Kotlin is comparatively faster and safer than Java.

Kotlin is used to develop iOS and Android applications and is considered a highly acceptable technology. Statically typed means the type checking, and the variable type is known at the compilation time.

Top 5 Reasons Why Kotlin is the Go-To Choice for Android Developers

Mobile app development companies must have good Kotlin Developers. Google officially supports the programming language to write Android apps, which is the reason to switch to Kotlin for any Android app development.

Here is a list of reasons for choosing Kotlin for Android Application Development:

1. Easy Integration with Android Studio

Android Studio is an IDE which is built on IntelliJ IDEA of JetBrains. It gives full support to Kotlin and allows programmers to add Kotlin files to their current projects and convert Java code to Kotlin. Android Studio’s existing tools can be used with Kotlin for error checking, debugging and autocomplete.

Kotlin was first introduced in 2011, but its public release was in 2016. It was named Kotlin 1.0. In 2017, Google announced its official support for Kotlin and declared it one of the prominent languages for android app development. Since then, its adoption rate has accelerated. In October 2017, Android 3.0 was launched, and it totally supports Kotlin.

Kotlin now reduces the amount of boilerplate code needed to be written and successfully overcame the Java language for the Android platform.

2. Kotlin is Easy to Learn

When you think of learning something new, the first thing that crosses your mind is that it is difficult to learn. But this is not the case with Kotlin. If you already know the concepts of Java, then learning Kotlin is very easy for you. The design and syntax of Kotlin are simple to grasp yet very powerful. This is a crucial reason why Kotlin has Excel Java as the first choice for Android app development.

JetBrain ensures that those who have migrated from Java to Kotlin do not face any trouble in learning. Kotlin is simple, easy to use and completely resembles Java.

3. Interoperable with Java

This is one of the biggest advantages of Kotlin. There is always a fear in adopting a new language that you must migrate all your existing projects to the new language. But this is not the problem with Kotlin; it is entirely interoperable with Java. This is the beauty of this language. Existing codes of Java can be called from Kotlin naturally, and Kotlin code can be used from Java rather smoothly as well.

Interoperability means the computer system or software’s ability to exchange and use information.

Kotlin is 100% compatible with Java, so they can share data whenever two java and kotlin files exist. While designing compatibility in kotlin, JetBrains emphasises Kotlin’s interaction with existing Java code. The mobile app development team ensures that kotlin can wholly and quickly interact with existing Java code.

4. Extensions

Extension functions allow developers to add functionality to existing classes (even Java) without a rewrite of the code in Kotlin. You can take advantage of this powerful feature of Kotlin without abandoning your skills gained while creating existing apps. In Kotlin, developers can add more functionality to the existing classes without replacing them. This is achieved through extensions. When a function is added to an existing class, it is known as Extension Function. Kotlin allows the user-defined classes and library classes to be extended.

5. Much safer than Java

The null pointer exception in Java is very frustrating because it’s a significant problem in the language’s design. Even if we have tools like annotations or some design patterns, as usual, the amount of extra work needed is a problem with time and money.

But we can’t only talk about nulls. The whole amount of code we save on Kotlin reverts to:

Fewer errors: With fewer codes, it is more difficult for that code to fail and therefore becomes constant.

When the compiler identifies those errors at compiling time, they never happen on runtime (apparent but actual)

The code is easier to understand when someone else reads it, and it is more challenging to introduce bugs.

It’s more apparent what the code does because we avoid any boilerplate that only serves to overcome the language’s lack. It definitely translates into more work done in less time, more stability, and less time spent fixing bugs.

Conclusion

Kotlin is a modern language with so many benefits. It is easy to use; it helps you think differently, and, above all, it is already used by many big companies. It is now an official language for Android app development.

Many things have changed since the release of Kotlin’s first version, 1.1, and the Google announcement to make it its official language, so it has become an excellent tool for people to start learning Kotlin and boost the initial learning curve. But if you want to know Kotlin’s situation in the market, conduct in-depth market research.