Java has been considered the core of Android Mobile App Development for years, so for many developers, there were no other choices than Java.
Then in 2017, Google launched its support for Kotlin, which implied that Kotlin is now the official language for the android app code language. And since then, the Android App in Kotlin has gained a lot of traction.
According to StackOverflow, Kotlin was the second most preferred programming language in 2018 and it was also considered the fourth most demanded language from Android App Development Company in the world.
Right now, several popular businesses use Kotlin for their apps. Some android project examples include Pinterest, Evernote, Trello, Uber, Shadowsocks, and so on all apply their android development with Kotlin.
Since 2017, JetBrains (the team that developed Kotlin) demonstrated that Kotlin can likewise be favorably applied for coding iOS apps. With increasing support for both Android and iOS mobile platforms now, Kotlin is necessitated to increase in demand, and its fate appears not to be restricted simply to Android.
You may have learned about Kotlin and questioned what it is and if it is any better than Java, so read on to know more.
Kotlin – How and Where Did It Come From?
Kotlin is an open-source, statically-typed programming language producing code that can operate on the Java virtual machine.
It was created by JetBrains, who derived the name from the Kotlin Island situated close to St. Petersburg, Russia.
While Kotlin’s syntax is not compatible with Java, which was usually applied for Android app development, it can still interoperate with code on Java. Or you can say that code composed in Kotlin runs with Java as efficiently as it does on its native platform.
Kotlin applies aggressive inference to identify the kinds of expressions and values if they were not precisely mentioned. It makes Kotlin even more different from Java, which might need iterative type specifications.
Even though Kotlin was introduced in 2011, it grabbed the international community’s attention just after the announcement that Android App Development with Kotlin was now officially supported by Google.
However, even before this announcement and the spike in popularity, Kotlin was already in use at leading companies such as Uber, Atlassian, or Pinterest.
But if you had always wondered about Kotlin for android developers and you wish to try it out yourself, you need to know its features, benefits, and drawbacks before jumping into it.
Features of Android Development in Kotlin:
The Android community is buzzing with the Kotlin code. Everyone is talking about Android App Development with Kotlin, so here are five principal Kotlin features that will explain to you why we are all so excited.
☛ Efficiency
The learning curve for Kotlin is lower than most. Furthermore, it encourages a developer creating an app with the least amount of code. When it comes to learning and understanding the language and coding the app, Kotlin code speeds up the process.
It minimized the amount of code. Kotlin’s code length is one-fifth of Java’s, which makes the Android App in Kotlin to be made more efficient.
☛ Null Safety
The feature of null safety is among the key advantageous aspects of Kotlin that most developers will find invaluable. When coding with Java, all Java developers have to deal often with the NullPointerException. While this specific component supports testing the quality of the software, it actually slows down development and efficiency extensively.
The prevention incorporated by this often leads to complications in the application’s run-time, and developers mostly prefer to remove this when writing the code. In Java’s case, no alert on the null-safety is offered.
This is precisely where this Kotlin feature can be beneficial. Java developers only encounter the null safety feature in the initiation stage’s early development with Kotlin. At this moment, whether values should be given to the null factor or not is stated to the app developer.
With Kotlin, the null safety is provided by the compiler that pulls down the danger of dealing with Null Point Exceptions during run-time for developers.
☛ Lazy-loading
For any app, faster speeds of loading is now a major priority. Kotlin offers a lazy-loading feature that maintains this. When you build applications for android in Kotlin, this feature helps in minimizing the app’s launch time.
This feature loads the content at quicker speeds to lessen the time to launch and then it slowly loads other less important contents and elements.
Due to this lazy-loading feature, the developers using Kotlin can only assign importance to the major resources and store the rest in the principal memory to make sure the loading speed remains fast while storing secondary or other resources in secondary memories.
☛ Extension Functions
The Standard Library Functions by Kotlin are also called extension functions and these help developers in so many ways. When programming Kotlin, functions that are essential parts of a language that is object-oriented can be extended as extensions also.
Java only lets developers incorporate a new function inside the present class. When the class further expands, it gets problematic for developers to obtain ready-to-use parts.
On the other hand, Kotlin enables developers to use such functions as extensions. This supports the new functions to run smoothly in the prevailing classes. Besides this feature, the Library also offers a solid selection of basic functions.
☛ Streams and Collections
Developers familiar with Java know about the processing concept of object set that always ends as an unchangeable portion of the whole process of Java app development. This occurs because objects in Java get changed to a multitude of presented components during this process.
This usually causes the following stream of objects, which makes the whole application slow.
As an advanced language, Kotlin deals with these permanent collections. Here, intensive APIs will instantly return as the set that is identified by a similar functionality.
Benefits of Android App Development with Kotlin
Kotlin is preferred by many mobile developers now, who now choose it over Java. Here are some benefits that Kotlin offers:
☛ Improves Team Efficiency
Kotlin is rather compact and clean, therefore, it increases efficiency in the team due to its automatic and concise syntax. You can accomplish more work since it consumes less time and fewer lines of written code and extends the working code.
☛ Complies With Java Code
Kotlin is interoperable with Java. It is compatible with Java and all associated frameworks and tools, which make it plausible to change to Kotlin one step at a time. In case you cannot code in Kotlin merely, both Kotlin and Java can be conveniently applied simultaneously.
☛ Easily Maintenance
Kotlin is backed by a large portion of IDEs, such as android studio programming, and other software development kit tools. This assists in increasing productivity, as they keep on working with the toolkit they are accustomed to.
☛ Fewer Bugs
Kotlin provides a compact and precise codebase that makes the in-production code more consistent and durable. Bug gets discovered during the compilation, so developers can fix problems before the run-time.
Is It Any Better than Java?
If you’re using Java currently to produce your Android app, you need not worry, because things won’t change. Google will keep on providing amazing resources and tools to make Java app development faster and easier.
You can further supplement Kotlin to your app because you don’t have to worry about support in the future. You can look at the official guide from Google to learn how to start with Android App Development with Kotlin
As Kotlin is totally interoperable with Java, you can smoothly add it to your present app and you don’t need to even rewrite any code. You can simply begin coding with Kotlin.
So, here are two major business benefits you get from Android App in Kotlin:
☛ Decreased Project Timelines
Kotlin’s compactness advantages indicate that the language can answer more queries with fewer code lines. Kotlin’s compact nature enables developers to understand and change code better which can decrease the time-to-market for projects.
☛ Fewer App Crashes
Again, Kotlin apps employ fewer code lines as opposed to other Java apps. Less code decrease development time, but it also supports preservation demands. There is a more concise cover area for bugs to conceal themselves and the improved language readability makes finding bugs more accessible for developers, ending in more sporadic crashes and system breakdowns.
There are two aspects to consider when you decide on an Android App in Kotlin. Firstly, ensure your team is prepared to make the transition.
When you introduce a new language, re-composing and leveraging your app also brings in a learning curve. It is crucial to ensure your team is prepared to scale any obstacles during this stage.
It is also important to understand how the transition can affect your prevailing architecture. Transforming programming languages can lead to elimination, production, and combining of specific classes and artifacts. As a consequence, the architecture of your product can be ruined.
It is important to make sure your architecture is flexible and can deal with the product’s evolution.
Conclusion
In the world of Android development, it looks like Android App in Kotlin might replace Java. With Google negotiating Kotlin as a favored Android programming language.
So, the buzz is understandable, and if you are going to Hire Android App Developer for your project, you are ready for anything that may come your way.
