If you are into mobile app development, you must have known the emergence of Kotlin as the most credible alternative to Java programming language in recent times. Now that Kotlin has received the official stamp from Google as the language for Android app development, there are more reasons to switch to Kotlin. But still, the vast majority of Android developers are sticking to Java as they don't have the idea of the enormous advantages of using Kotlin over Java.
You may think that Java for years is just working fine, but you must be finding Kotlin more optimised for your projects now. Let us explain some of the key advantages of Kotlin.
1. It is a Swift Alternative
Kotlin is much like the Swift language of iOS platform. It allows easy integration with Android Studio, just as it happens with Swift when it gets integrated with the XCode. Just like Swift, it allows setting up within just minutes and most importantly, it will enable debugging the app without any issues.
With Kotlin you get a really high-performance coding language that not only replicates all Java elements but also offers a lot more than Java. It comes as a complete language allowing the developers to refactor and debug errors and do more than what you could do with Java.
2. An Easier Language with Enhanced Safety
You can always refer to the vastness and immensity of Java as a language that actually cannot be compared with Kotlin. But when you put Kotlin in the context of Android app development, the language looks far advantageous than Java for several reasons.
Kotlin as arrived as an improved language over Java with several key enhancements over Java, particularly for the Android app developers. While the process of making classes and several syntaxes are similar to both the languages, Kotlin is much easier than Java and offers more security.
While Android developers always consider finding the NullPointerExceptions to very cumbersome, Kotlin gives you total freedom from this. The null-safety feature of Kotlin makes your job easier while strengthening your data security to the maximum.
3. Do a Lot More with Less Code
One of the most significant advantages of using Kotlin is that the app developers need to write far less code compared to Java. Every developer likes concise and clean code structure allowing them to finish the coding quickly while reducing the chances of bugs and errors. This is where Kotlin enjoys an edge over Java.
Kotlin does away with most of the ceremonies involved in Java APIs and Android developers while do not need to go through a series of steps like in the case of Java development. Whether you need to access a database or deal with fragmentary transactions, all can be done with Kotlin much easily. As a whole Kotlin will simplify your coding and boost productivity to a great extent.
A massive advantage of using Kotlin for Android app development is the backward compatibility with a lot of other Java and Android development projects. As many Android devices are still run on earlier Java code structures and projects, Kotlin still offers them full support. For instance, Java 6 bytecode is supported by Kotlin.
4. Great IDE and Tooling Support
Kotlin comes as a complete and better alternative to Java for Android app development as it is backed by Google itself. Kotlin comes equipped with all the advanced IDEs and support for sought after tools for Android projects. JetBrains offers an array of most popular and widely used IDEs for Kotlin projects.
When using Kotlin, accessing the IDEs and tooling support for your project is also extremely easier. All you have to do is to install the required Android Studio plugin. The entire set of IDE features belonging to Android Studio work just fine with Kotlin. You are also allowed to compile and mix the code of both Kotlin and Java in the same Android project without causing any hiccups. Even the languages based on Java Virtual Machine (JVM) enjoy IDE support in Kotlin.
A great supporting feature of Kotlin is that the plugins that are brought in Android Studio come with the ability to convert Java fine to Kotlin. You can just convert any older Java file into its Kotlin equivalent with only one click. This converting of earlier Java files helps developers switching to Kotlin easily.
5. Kotlin is a Future-Ready and Modern Language
You might have worked with Java for more than a decade, but nevertheless, it now looks a little obsolete as the app development standards and practices moved forward faster with new user expectations and new technologies. This is where Kotlin seems to be a modern and future-ready choice compared to Java.
Kotlin came as a much more versatile programming language with a whole array of value-added features along with robust compatibility with the Java code. Switching to Kotlin means you as a developer will be at par with the latest development best practices and features while not missing the strength of Java. By working with Kotlin, it would be easier for you to adapt to most of the modern platforms and languages such as Asp.Net core, Ruby, etc. If you are already an experienced Java developer, Kotlin will give you more values.
Conclusion
Kotlin is here to stay as after years it has come with a value-package for seasoned Android developers who had no option but the same old Java. If you are comfortable with Java, you are bound to find Kotlin more comfortable as an option for your Android projects.
