Those days are gone when you blindly prefer Java for android based projects. As time passed, Kotlin emerged as the tough competitor of Java for android development. Now it’s time to switch over Kotlin. It is not just about the popularity amongst the developers but also the advantages over Java. Before comparing Kotlin with java, Let see some basics of Kotlin-
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is developed by JetBrains, and was first released in 2016. Immediately after the launch, it has gained a lot of popularity among the android community. And it gained momentum when google announced Kotlin as a first-class language for developing Android apps at the I/O 2017.
When it comes to its usability, Kotlin has a set of tools and frameworks that work with Java. Its advanced compiler can check the errors during compile time and run time also. It also reduces the lines of code to a great extent. Kotlin has everything that developers need and couldn’t find in Java or any other alternative like JRuby or Groovy. It is concise and completely interoperable with Java. Also, Kotlin came with higher compatibility with Android Studio in which IntelliJ IDEA, JetBrains’ own Java IDE serves as the backbone. Know the best Kotlin server-side frameworks at- 5 Best Kotlin Server-side frameworks.
What Is The Problem With Java?
Java was released 20 years ago. And hence each new version of Java has to be compatible with the previous version. It becomes a challenge to compete with newer, more concise, expressive programming languages. Java is still the official programming language for android development but it just starts to show its limitations and its age.
Reasons To Use Kotlin Over Java-
1. Easy Code-
Kotlin programs are easy to code as it does not need semicolons in their program. Also, they have smart casts and string templates. Java is not a concise language and it increases the chances of bugs. Kotlin is a concise language that means having fewer chances of runtime and compile-time errors. Kotlin provides an easy way to use mutable and immutable declarations for different data structures.
2. Completely Interoperable With Java-
One of the biggest advantages of Kotlin is, it is compatible with java. With multiple ways, it can easily use and exchange information from Java. Code of Kotlin and Java can co-exist in the same project. Kotlin can perform well with Java programming language. You can use multiple java libraries in Kotlin projects and this makes it more compatible. Compatibility is not just about the libraries but also with some advanced frameworks. You can use easily use Kotlin from Java by just converting a complete project to Kotlin. This is the biggest advantage for developers that they do not need to learn a new language. Anyone who is proficient with Java can easily code in Kotlin.
3. More Concise Than Java-
Know more at- [https://solaceinfotech.com/blog/why-you-should-use-kotlin-over-java/]
Top comments (2)
Kotlin is breath of fresh air with all the new languages, is Java but simple and cooler, when I told my brother about it, he just said me "vanilla Java is always the best, don't be lazy and go for the original thing", I had to decline, since I have tried both and the only thing I can say is that Kotlin is much simpler and has an easy learning curve but, start with the hard starter on java, learn just the basics of it then go full with Kotlin and you will enjoy it even more!
Your experience means a lot to us..Thank you so much for sharing your great experience..!!