Kotlin is fresh perspective as a new programming language from JetBrains brings a new perspective to programming. JetBrains has been behind several IDEs and with the progress they have made, Kotlin and many other similar programming languages are here to stay.
Considering Kotlin is not a new technology, android technology has evolved at an unprecedented rate since its inception. As a result, Kotlin will replace Java as Google’s official language. This is not what Kotlin can offer, if this is what it can offer.We will explore Kotlin a bit to change this myth; its existence, adoption, advantages, limitations, and many more. Then we will also discuss some of the issues and hiccups you may encounter if you start using it right away. Let’s conclude by discussing whether Kotlin is a future-oriented programming language.
What Is Kotlin?
The Kotlin programming language is a general-purpose, statically typed language developed by Jet Brains. It combines the features of object-oriented programming and functional programming. Kotlin and Java are interoperable, which means they can share and use information.As with the Java compiler, the Kotlin compiler also generates bytecode that can be run on the JVM.
Kotlin is widely used to develop server-side applications, Android applications, multiplatform mobile applications, and more. A kind of Java with some added features; Java libraries can also be used in Kotlin projects. It is true that Java is a really cool language, but the developers of Kotlin focused more on simplification and transparency.
What is Kotlin used for?
The Kotlin programming language is mainly used for developing Android mobile apps. Kotlin can also be used for the following things:
- The server-side development process. Java is traditionally used to develop back-end web applications. Java and Kotlin can both be used for server development. There is support for Java Class Libraries in Kotlin.
- Providing full-stack web development services. Kotlin for JavaScript allows developers to convert Kotlin code into JavaScript for front-end web development. By using this approach, they are able to use the same code on the front and back ends.
- Mobile development on multiple platforms. Kotlin is used for Android and other mobile platforms, including Apple iOS, Apple watchOS and Linux.
- A data science approach. The Kotlin programming language is often used for data science tasks, such as building data pipelines and putting machine learning models into production. Kotlin is also supported by Jupyter and Zeppelin, two popular data science tools for Java.
Features of Kotlin
- Null safety: Kotlin is a null-safe language. NullPointerException (null reference) was eliminated from Kotlin’s code.
- Interoperable: Java code can easily be called by Kotlin, and Kotlin code can be used by Java.
- Smart cast: Explicitly typecasting immutable values and automatic safe casting inserts them into the safe cast automatically.
- Concise: Using Kotlin reduces the amount of code you have to write. Kotlin becomes more concise as a result.
- Compilation Time: It has a faster compilation time and better performance.
- Tool-friendly: A Kotlin program can be built using either a Java IDE or the command line.
- Extension function: Extension functions and extension properties are supported in Kotlin, so classes can be extended without touching their code.
Why Do You Learn the Kotlin Language?
The Kotlin programming language is one of the fastest-growing and most widely used programming languages. Kotlin combines the best features of object-oriented and functional programming. The Kotlin language is preferred by software developers all over the world for various projects. It is also a very friendly and easy language. It is quite easy to maintain and debug this language, so it makes a good first language.
In May 2017, Google announced Kotlin as the official language for developing Android applications. Since the announcement, the job opportunities for Kotlin have doubled every three months, according to Dice. Demand for Kotlin is on the rise. Some of the companies that use Kotlin include Google, Netflix, and Pinterest.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to developing Android apps and Android app development companies, Kotlin has been a show-stopper. It will definitely be improved since we have all the Java extensions that can be easily integrated with Kotlin.
Kotlin is just advancing and offering all developers the best features in order to leverage the best features in developing Kotlin-based applications. Increasingly, companies are adopting Kotlin as their official language. It is easy to use, user-friendly, and highly efficient, making it an obvious choice for developers.