As far as history goes, Java has been the official programing language for android app development, especially for Google. However, in 2017, Google made a big decision and became Kotlin-oriented.
Kotlin is a free, open-source statically typed pragmatic programming language reconcilable for JVM (Java Virtual Machine), Java Libraries, and Android. The most important reason it is brought so heavily in use is that Kotlin development saves time for developers, the less verbose language provides concise and less redundant code.
Kotlin 1.0 was developed and launched in the year 2016 by JetBrains. Since then, almost all developers have considered Kotlin first and foremost for android app development and server-side development.
Google has become Kotlin-oriented, due to which many developers are moving towards adopting it.
Moreover, many Java apps are now being rewritten in Kotlin, highlighting the importance and significance of Kotlin Language for android app development.
Kotlin development for android apps has become vastly popular and highly appreciated among android developers. MMC Global is one of the leading Kotlin development agencies that provide services in Kotlin development for Android.
Importance of Kotlin for Android App Development
Developed by a Russian software product development company in the year 2011 and later augmented by several open-source developers, the Kotlin language for Android app development has high importance.
Enterprise-level companies like Google called Kotlin the most suitable and chosen language for app development. Kotlin is an easy-to-compile programming language. It is one language that requires less coding, and it boosts productivity.
Difference Between Kotlin Development and Java Development
Java is undoubtedly the leading programing language for app development; Kotlin development and Java development both hold many attributes. However, they both have differences in their features. Kotlin development for android has an exceptional App performance, which is even better than Java development.
Java supports Android Studio 3.0 partially, while Kotlin language supports Android Studio strongly and completely. Although Kotlin’s development language has become much accepted in current times, it still has less market presence than Java, which holds a great amount of marketplace.
One of the reasons why Kotlin wins the attribute part is because it provides a low adoption cost, while Java has a very high adoption cost. Kotlin has many good features, but the best part of Kotlin language is that it has a very strong and concise code quality, with excellent app security. Java provides quality coding, is non-optimized, and lacks a little in its app security. For further reading, you can visit MMC GBL for details on Kotlin and Java development.
Many developers also compare Kotlin to React Native. If you are interested to know then read it aloud: React Native vs Kotlin: Which One Is The Best One For You?
Benefits of Using Kotlin Language for Android App Development
Kotlin development has changed the market for Android mobile app development since Google I/O. Kotlin has become one of the most popular open-source Android app development programming languages. The idea for this programming language came way before its actual availability in the market. Meanwhile, the creators of JetBrains kept improving to create a new programming language.
You can get a lot of benefits from using Kotlin language for Android development; here are a few mentioned:
Readability
Kotlin language comes with less code combined with greater readability, which allows you to spend less time writing your code and working to understand others’ code.
Mature Android Studio
Kotlin has developed tremendously since its creation in 2011. It started as a Language, an ecosystem with robust tooling; now, it is seamlessly integrated into Android Studio. And the most important part is that many companies are currently using Kotlin programming for developing Android.
Kotlin And Java Interoperability
One of the key features of Kotlin is that it can be used alongside Java. If you know how to code in Java learning Kotlin will be a piece of cake for you then. You can simply use all your code of Java programming for your application without shifting all your codes to Kotlin.
Kotlin and Other Libraries
KTX extensions can help you add Kotlin language features, including coroutines, Extension functions, lambdas, and named parameters, to existing Android libraries.
Common Code Among the platforms
Kotlin development allows you to share common code across multiplatform. You can use Kotlin for developing not only Android apps but iOS, backend, and web applications.
Safety for Code
Kotlin already makes the coding with fewer errors as it has fewer codes, hence better readability. However, the Kotlin compiler detects even the remaining errors, making the code safe.
Massive Community and Support
According to Google, over 60% of the top 1000 apps on the Playstore use Kotlin app development for Android. Hence, it can be concluded that has great support and many contributions from the community, which is why it is growing worldwide.
For further reading on the benefits of Kotlin, click here: Kotlin App Development – Top Benefits And Updates You Need to Know
Drawbacks of Kotlin
Kotlin is one of the most prominent languages for app development at the moment. With companies like Google rooting for it, makes it is very important. However, it is a language, and no language is perfect. There are a few limitations that a developer has to face while using on it:
Java-Boilerplate
Kotlin provides developers with Java-Boilerplate using data-class features but while you are using this feature, it puts a hold on several aspects, including inheriting classes and sealed classes and also puts stops in developing classes.
Exception by IDE
IDE continuously throws exceptions; more frequently than it should. These things cause small annoyance in comparison to a failure in a native code IDE. But the “Internal IDE error” can be annoying.
Small Community
Kotlins’ native community is quite small. Hence, it has not been in business more than Java or any other community. But when you use Java interup, you don’t need Kotlin Libraries. Community support can help with it.
Final Words
Kotlin is the rising star in app development. Although many languages are available for app development, Kotlin language for Android app development still beats its competition by miles. moreover, Kotlin does have a small community for now but the future seems a lot bright as it has already become the most popular among the community. Kotlin is developing and advancing each day. There are most of the apps being made on Kotlin. It is quite easy to use as it is user-friendly and highly efficient, which makes it automatically a good choice among developers.
The masses recommend Kotlin because of its amazing features and ease. You can easily hire a Kotlin developer for your projects.
MMC Global is a leading agency in providing Kotlin development services; we have multiple satisfied customers and professionals who ensure you get the best for your upcoming projects.
Kotlin FAQs:
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is an open-source programming language that targets the JVM, developed by JetBrains. This project was initiated in 2010 but got launched first in 2016.
What is the current version of Kotlin?
The current version of Kotlin is 1.7.0, published on 9th June 2022.
Is Kotlin Free?
Kotlin is developed under the Apache 2.0 license. It is free; it has been free, and it will always be free.
What advantages does Kotlin give me over the Java programming language?
As compared to Java, Kotlin is more concise. The code is roughly 40% less in the number of lines. Along with that, Kotlin has more safety for codes.
What is Kotlin used for?
Kotlin is a language for Android app development. However, it can be used for any development, be it server-side, client-side web, or android.
Can I use Kotlin for Desktop development?
Yes. You can use Kotlin for Desktop development. Moreover, there are Kotlin-specific frameworks such as TornadoFX as well that can be used.
