Google announced Kotlin language as an official language for developing android applications in May 2017. After the announcement, the jobs for Kotlin increased in large numbers; since then, the job opportunities for Kotlin have doubled every three months as per Dice. Google, Netflix, Pinterest are some of the companies using Kotlin.
A good example of a dynamically typed programming language is Python. In Python, programmers can write code faster because they don’t need to specify variable types every time the code runs, which translates into less verbose code. JavaScript is also a dynamically typed language so when we declare a variable we don’t need to specify its type.
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A greater proportion of Kotlin developers are using libraries and frameworks in 2021 than before.The popularity of the top Kotlin libraries created by JetBrains is increasing. In their tasks, roughly a quarter of Kotlin users apply Ktor, an asynchronous framework for creating microservices, web applications, and more. These questions were only shown to respondents who chose Kotlin as one of their three primary programming languages.
Kotlin is easier to understand than Java, which makes code easier to read and comprehend. An immutable object is one whose state is unchangeable after it’s been declared. In Kotlin, immutable variables are declared as val, whereas mutable variables are declared as var. Kotlin supports https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ the specification of a “primary constructor” as part of the class definition itself, consisting of an argument list following the class name. Additionally, when defining a subclass, properties in super-interfaces and super-classes can be overridden in the primary constructor.
Sealed classes
Kotlin focuses on stripped-down, functional code and avoids repetitive boilerplate code. Semicolons at the end of every line are not needed, although Kotlin does not have an issue if a developer uses them. Additional features reduce the complexity and length of code needed to achieve the end goal of a Kotlin team. It’s also a fantastic choice for scripting and automation tasks. With its concise syntax and the power of the JVM, Kotlin scripts can be both potent and lightweight.
If you want to develop Android apps or multi-platform applications with the JVM, you can do it quicker and simpler with Kotlin than with Java. Kotlin, developed by JetBrains, has been making waves in the developer community. Its concise syntax and Java interoperability have positioned it as a top choice. As we’ve already mentioned, Kotlin was first developed for the Java Virtual Machine.
This solution makes creating mobile and web apps much easier since you can share business logic between all platforms while retaining the ability to create a native UI. Kotlin combines object-oriented and functional programming features with a more concise syntax than Java, as well as safety features for null values. Kotlin has both object-oriented and functional constructs.
This ensures that styles are correct at compile time, eliminating runtime styling errors. Ktor’s minimalist and extensible nature makes it a powerful tool for Kotlin developers venturing into backend development. Ktor operates on a feature-based system, where functionalities like logging, serialization, and authentication can be added as needed. This modularity ensures that apps include only what’s necessary, reducing bloat. With a few lines of code, developers can have a basic server up and running.
Kotlin script files, with the .kts extension, can be run without the need for a full project setup. While the core logic is shared, Kotlin Multiplatform allows for platform-specific implementations. This ensures that each platform can have optimized, native-feeling experiences. Kotlin’s multiplatform capability stands out as one of its most powerful features.
You can easily call Kotlin code from Java and Java code from Kotlin. There’s also an automated Java-to-Kotlin converter built into the IDE that simplifies migration of existing code. Data Scientists can use all the standard Java libraries that they used for Java projects but write their own code in Kotlin. Jupyter and Zeppelin, two tools used daily by many Data Scientists for data visualization and exploratory research, also support Kotlin. The modern features of the language make it possible for Web Developers to build applications that can scale quickly on commodity hardware. Since Kotlin is interoperable with Java, you can slowly migrate an application to use Kotlin one file at a time while the rest of the application still uses Java.
The val keyword declares a read-only property or local variable. Similarly, the var keyword declares a mutable property or local variable. In fact, the makers of Kotlin have specifically designed it to be easy to pick up. While mastering its most advanced features will definitely take a lot of time and effort, getting to grips with the basics should be fairly straightforward. It can be used for both server-side and client-side applications, both for web and Android.
The good news is, if you already know Java, learning Kotlin will be a piece of cake. Despite the temptation to throw them head to head in competition, Kotlin and Java both compile to bytecode, which means they can be used in conjunction in the same project. The one clear argument for Java over Kotlin is that Java is more widely used and most Android documentation examples are in Java. So, for complete beginners, learning Java might be an easier ride. That’s not based on Java being better though, so isn’t really a compelling reason in the long run. This includes 1.3 million active developers – people who edit code from one month to the next.
In addition, with Kotlin you can share business logic between all platforms while retaining the ability to create native UI. Kotlin can be used both in native and cross-platform app development. Apps made with Kotlin can work on various operating systems, such as Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, or Linux. What’s more, you can also develop web applications (Kotlin Js) in Kotlin. It means you can develop an app for Android and iOS-based solutions using one code.
Developers will soon be able to use it for macOS and iOS platforms too. Using val in our code makes it easier to read and incredibly compact. Using the example above, we can see how we don’t need to declare the variable type in the beginning of a HashMap. Instead we use val to declare this as an immutable variable. As an immutable variable a HashMap cannot become anything rather than a HashMap, but it can be used as usual to store key value pairs.
- It included a new feature that enabled sharing code between JavaScript platforms and JVM.
- What’s more, you can also develop web applications (Kotlin Js) in Kotlin.
- It can be used for both server-side and client-side applications, both for web and Android.
- You can see that functions are defined with the fun keyword, and that semicolons are now optional when newlines are present.
- Kotlin is inspired by existing languages such as Java, C#, JavaScript, Scala and Groovy.
- With Kotlin Multiplatform, developers maintain a shared codebase for business logic that runs on multiple platforms.
If you don’t have experience with JAVA or similar languages it might be confusing. Some things happen automatically and it can be hard to understand what is going on. In my opinion, fully understanding JAVA before learning Kotlin is the optimal path here.
