Editor’s note: This article explains what makes Kotlin a strong choice for Android development, from full Java interoperability and more concise code to built-in zero security. Specializing in software engineering for demanding industries, including healthcare, insurance and investment, ScienceSoft develops Android apps in Kotlin that are faster to build and easier to maintain.
During their I/O event on May 17, Google announced that Kotlin will join Java and C++ and is now the third official language of Android. This was big news for mobile app development, and the online sample code editor on Kotlin’s official website was down for hours due to the overload of visitors.
While hundreds of thousands of developers wanted to find out what exactly Kotlin was all about, many had heard of this statically-typed JVM programming language. Developed by JetBrains in 2011, Kotlin is supposed to compensate for Java’s syntactic weaknesses and stimulate the development of mobile apps.
Did the language succeed? Its production used by Amazon Web Services, Pinterest, Coursera, Trello, Netflix and other large companies, as well as partnership with Google all point to a “yes”. Nevertheless, let’s look at more details to find the answer.
With care for developers
Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java and can be used as its syntactic extension. But if you compare the two languages, the developers emphasize that Kotlin is not only more functional and flexible, but also very understandable. All his commands are clear and to the point; No one needs to be explained with some ‘compilation miracles’ typical of Java and many other languages.
What’s more, Kotlin already has a reputation for being a pleasure to work with: Google goes so far as to call it “delightful” in its latest address about the partnership. This admiration of the elegance of the code and the recognition of the care for the work processes of the developers is exactly what you expect from Google in its policy.
Cut the code in half
Kotlin fans share the same vision of Java: it is functional and efficient, but pays too much tribute to the past. Many say that Java could have become greater than it is now a long time ago if it had only toned down some of its code legacy. While inheriting much from Java, Kotlin does just that.
As a result, developers are asked to write less code in Kotlin and then either have it automatically translated or compiled to Java with 100% accuracy. The size of the reduction varies from case to case, but overall it is quite impressive, with some pieces cut from 16 lines to only 8.
Add additional features
Standard arguments, which are completely absent in Java, is what helps Kotlin reduce its code amount and make it as transparent as it is. Furthermore, Kotlin offers lambda expression, higher order functions and operator overloading. Also, the code has the minimum runtime among all JVM languages - only 700 kilobytes – which is an important advantage for large-scale Android mobile development projects.
Another great feature introduced in Kotlin zero-security that eliminates null references. Instead of making the app crash during final code execution (as happens in Java), Kotlin will inform developers about null references before compilation.
General benefits
Like any programming language or even more, Kotlin aims to become a practical development medium for engineers. With its improved syntactic nature and expanded functionality, the language allows for easier and more enjoyable coding. ScienceSoft’s Android developers have long been enthusiastic about Kotlin and greatly appreciate its convenience.
Convenience aside, there are also financial benefits for businesses. The need to write less code for Android apps helps vendors hire fewer development resources. At the same time, projects are delivered faster, which means lower costs of app development and maintenance for the benefit of business customers.