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Kotlin is a statically-typed programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and also can be compiled to JavaScript source code. Kotlin is a programming and development language from JetBrains’ team of programmers based in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Google’s Android team announced first-class support for Kotlin recently during a keynote at the annual Google I/O conference. First-class support on Android will increase Kotlin’s user base. The launch of Kotlin is great news for Android application development ecosystem and Android developers as it opens up a world of opportunities.
Here are advantages of Kotlin that will take Android app development to the next level.
Easy Learning Curve
Simple, concise, and easy to read and write, Kotlin is modern and Android-compatible language that is designed to be type-and null-safe. The code written with Kotlin is much simpler than the Java equivalent. It’s more human-readable, which makes debugging easier for writing Android apps. This ease of use makes Android app development faster and more fun.
Power of Open Source
Kotlin has always been an Open Source project under Apache 2 and there is a strong possibility to move Kotlin into a non-profit foundation. Kotlin encourages an open developer ecosystem while growing the Android platform. The power of Open Source creates a strong ecosystem and is not limited to one company.
100% Compatibility with Java
Kotlin’s greatest advantage continues to be level of interoperability between Java and Kotlin. There is a possibility that Java and Kotlin code exists in the same project and compile perfectly. You can use the majority of Java libraries and frameworks in Kotlin projects including advanced frameworks. You can use Kotlin without taking any drastic steps like converting an entire project to Kotlin.
Will Kotlin affect support for IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse or Netbeans?
Obviously no. Android Studio is built on IntelliJ IDEA, an IDE built by JetBrains—the same company behind the Kotlin language. The JetBrains team has ensured Kotlin works great with IntelliJ IDEA. Starting with Android Studio 3.0, tooling support for Kotlin is bundled directly into Android Studio. Kotlin’s target is to be available on multiple platforms and support for other IDEs will continue as before.
What Happens to Existing Languages?
Kotlin has been added as an official Android language. However, existing languages have being made stronger with the newest versions of Android and Android Studio. For instance, Android O saw support for Java 8 libraries. In C++, there is an attempt to making improvements such as expanding performance profiling tools and APK debugging tools to provide a native experience.
