The vast majority of Android developers use the Kotlin programming language. Many applications placed on Google Play are written on it. Moreover, Google Corporation has stated that this programming language is already a standard in the field of mobile development for Android. That is why the demand for Kotlin development services is growing, and in this article, we will talk about why developers liked this programming language.
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is a relatively new programming language that was created in 2011. The development team opted to design a completely new language since they thought Java was too complicated. Consequently, it proved to be more compact. The process of developing new products was able to be greatly accelerated as a result. Nevertheless, Kotlin is completely compatible with the Java Virtual Machine because it runs on it.
In terms of the classical definition, Kotlin is an object-oriented language with static typing. For a person unfamiliar with programming, many terms are not clear. The term “object-oriented” refers to the fact that all actions are carried out on objects, which are computer code units. They are capable of holding many values simultaneously. An object can be any entity with any set of qualities. Classes and special templates are employed in the creation process.
In static typing, variables are defined prior to the computer code being executed. In other words, it won’t work to assign an integer to a variable that was assigned the “string” type. An error will be thrown by the compiler when you attempt to do it. Although the development process is a little slower with this method, it is more reliable.
In which fields is Kotlin used?
Kotlin allows you to write programs for different platforms. For example, the development company JetBrains used it to create its own product, namely the IntelliJ IDEA development environment. However, the language has a number of features that have made it popular in the field of mobile development.
Today, Kotlin design and development services are most often used to develop applications for devices on the Android operating system. This includes not only smartphones or tablets, but also TVs, smart devices, cash registers, data collection devices, and more. If you go to the Google Play store, most of the applications presented here will be written in Kotlin.
The language is suitable for developing cross-platform applications that work on devices with different operating systems. For this, developers from the Temy team use a special Kotlin Multiplatform tool. The program written with its help will be supported on iOS, Android, and Windows. However, such products have certain problems with the user interface, due to which they have to be adapted separately for each platform. Currently, they are actively working on solving this problem, so the language has every chance to become multi-platform.
Sometimes Kotlin design and development services are used to create web applications. For this, you need to use additional libraries. They will allow you to develop both frontend and backend. As a rule, this option is used only in case of urgent need.
Increasingly, Kotlin began to be used when working with large data sets. This is especially relevant when performing complex mathematical calculations. Separate libraries were created specifically for this.
Unique features of the language
The language has a number of features that have made it so popular among developers. The most common are:
- simple and clear syntax — the creators of the language tried to make it as easy to read and understand as possible. Fewer characters make it much easier to understand. This facilitates the learning process for beginners, and it doesn’t matter if there was programming experience or not;
- compatibility with Java — Android applications have been developed in Java for many years. After a group of developers wanted to create a new language based on it in 2010, work began on creating Kotlin. It was officially released in 2016 and quickly became popular among mobile developers. All thanks to official recognition by Google and convenient interaction with the Android Studio development environment;
- security against bugs and errors — Kotlin has a set of tools at its disposal that help the developer to make much fewer mistakes in the process of writing code. For example, a language requires the type of variables to be defined in advance. This avoids assigning incorrect values. If there is no type indication, the language will determine it by itself. Also, Kotlin will prevent null assignment in places where it would cause a critical error. This is especially relevant for beginners who often face similar situations;
- support for several programming paradigms — the language allows you to work both in an object-oriented style and in a procedural style. The developer selects the best option based on the specifics of a specific project.
Strengths and weaknesses of the Kotlin language
To date, Kotlin has no competitors in terms of developing applications for the Android operating system. This thesis was officially confirmed by Google. However, you should not think that it is a perfect programming language. Like all the others, it has no flaws.
The advantages include:
- compatibility with Java;
- the ability to write clear and simple code;
- availability of official support from one of the largest IT companies;
- the ability to use elements of asynchronous programming;
- low entry threshold compared to many popular programming languages.
The main drawback is the slow assembly of some applications. In Java, these same software products go through this process many times faster. In addition, this language does not allow you to write applications for iOS without resorting to additional tools. Despite the large number of functional possibilities, it is primarily focused on the platform from Google.
Conclusion
Kotlin has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the Android development landscape by offering a modern, expressive, and versatile programming language that overcomes many of Java’s limitations. With its growing popularity, strong community support, and easy integration with existing Java codebases and frameworks, Kotlin has every chance to remain a dominant force in the Android ecosystem for years to come.
As Kotlin continues to evolve and gain momentum, developers like the Temy team are better equipped to create innovative and robust Android apps that meet the ever-changing demands of users and businesses.