Google with Android app development is leaving no stone unturned in raising the performance bar of the OS platform. The latest version of Kotlin is another step in this direction. The advancements and updates in Kotlin have been very frequent ever since Google announced it as the official language for Android app development.
The recent update in Kotlin, which is Kotlin 1.3.60, created hype amongst the Android app developers even before its release, as it had features that will make Kotlin a winner in the Java vs. Kotlin battle and options that would work well for the backend projects.
Kotlin 1.3.60 contains emphatic updates and new enhancements like improved tools that can take the process of debugging to another level, improved error messages, and many more. So, without much ado, let us head straight to the grind and understand the new developments in Kotlin 1.3.60 and how it will benefit the Android app developers.
Java to Kotlin Converter
The newest version of Kotlin offers interoperability with Java so that the developers can migrate various apps from Java to Kotlin with ease and precision. The android app development company can convert multiple files easily after doing a thorough analysis.
Moreover, the Java Kotlin converter can be kept as a default so that the android app developers will not face any kind of problems, making the conversion hassle-free. Moreover, for android app developers, the process of conversion doesn't ask to begin the work right from scratch. With Kotlin 1.3.60, the developers have resolved the issues related to conversion.
Support of IntelliJ IDEA
This is by far the best thing that has happened to the Android app developers with Kotlin 1.3.60. The app developers can redesign the worksheets and scratch files apart from doing small experiments with their codebase. Scratch file has a non-permanent code that is outside the project. Despite this, the snippets work as a fully functional code that the developer can run and debug. In addition to this, if you are looking to do the debug process inside, user worksheets. The worksheets are functionally similar to the scratch sheet, the only difference being the part of the project. The developers can play with the code and see how it performs inside the app project.
The Android app development companies can even use a sandbox for the entire project, and they can see the results of the experiment in a new window at the same time. This allows the android app developers to rectify their mistakes on the go to finish the process of Android app development promptly.
This process will allow the app developers to create demo projects and presentations in a pretty easy manner.
The latest version of Kotlin also has the facility to set function breaking points. This simply means that the mobile app developer can decide the time to stop the execution process of the debugger. The process is applicable whenever the debugger is entering or exiting then function. Moreover, an additional entry condition can be added by the Android app developers, as and when the situation demands.
Changes in the language
Although not an earth-shattering change, the developers made sure that Kotlin 1.3.60 has minor improvements in the language, such as completely changing the confusing error messages. The version also has updates for the experimental features (for example: for inline classes). The developers noticed that the quality comparison of two inline classes became the reason behind not requiring boxing of the underlying values. Thus with the newest version of Kotlin, the app developers have optimized this situation.
Other Kotlin/JavaScript updates
The Gradle plugin for the source that triggers JavaScript through org.jetbrains.kotlin.js is automatically generated in Kotlin 1.3.60. The automatically generated gradle plugin will help the android app developers to be more comfortable in debugging the code. Moreover, there will be a proper amount of opportunities to support code annotations, breakpoints, and ease of process when working with the test of the JavaScript targets.
Kotlin 1.3.60 has an improved runtime performance. The speed at which the interface calls is about 5 times higher as compared to the previous versions. In addition to this, the type checks are about 50 times faster in the newest version of Kotlin.
Kotlin 1.4
Kotlin 1.4 will release in spring 2020 as in Kotlin 1.3.60, and there were only minor changes related to the language. The features of user testing will be out soon. All you need to do is to specify the version of the corresponding language to 1.4. One should keep in mind that all the features of Kotlin 1.5 will be just experimental in the beginning.
Signing off
With Kotlin 1.3.60, Android app development companies and the app developers will have ease of developing high functioning mobile apps. The performance and durability of these apps will be higher. The improved worksheets and scratch sheets will help in giving full independence to the Android app developers to show their creativity and skills and experiment while rectifying everything on the go. The Java to Kotlin transfer process is easier now and is kept as a default to make the life easy of the app developers.
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