In recent years, Kotlin has become one of the most popular programming languages among Android developers. Although Java is widely considered the industry standard for Android app development, Kotlin is emerging as a viable alternative.
There is still a significant role for Java in developing Android apps. Despite this, Kotlin application development is fast becoming dominant in the Android app development industry. On top of Java, Kotlin has become an official Android app development language.
As of 2019, Google prefers to develop Android apps using Kotlin. In addition, Kotlin has emerged as a well-loved programming language in its own right, alongside C++ and Java. As reported by StackOverflow's 2021 Developer Survey, Kotlin currently ranks in the top 15 among all the best programming languages and ranks third among all the languages used to develop Android applications.
Here, we will discuss some of the most compelling advantages of Kotlin application development. These benefits are broad and varied, from the ease of use to code structure to accuracy. Scroll down to learn more.
An overview of Kotlin's relevance to the Android app development market
Developed by a group of JetBrains programmers in 2011, Kotlin is a powerful programming language. Open-source developers then made a lot of alterations to the language. It was revealed in 2019 that Kotlin is the most popular language for app development.
As a language that runs on the Java virtual machine, Kotlin can be considered a functional programming language. As well as being open-source, the language offers real-world applications and the ability to do multiple things. Combining functional and acquisitive programming makes compiling a program on time easier.
What makes Kotlin a tremendous Android app development language? It is a JavaScript and Java Virtual Machine (JVM) oriented, statically-typed programming language developed by JetBrains. Many leading brands like Amazon, Netflix, Pinterest, and Twitter use Kotlin for Android app development.
As an alternative to older languages like Java, Kotlin is intended to solve several challenges that developers face. As a result of NullPointerException and nullability, Java is verbose and throws frequent errors. The way inner classes are implemented also makes it prone to memory leaks.
Kotlin is one of the best languages for developing native Android applications. Here is why Android development in Kotlin is preferable among all android developers.
Concise code
There is a tendency for older languages like Java to produce repetitive code. You often need to write a lot of code in a specific order to accomplish anything in Java. With Kotlin, fewer lines of code can help you achieve the same objectives. This lets developers focus on solving more critical problems that impact the project's outcome rather than writing boilerplate code.
Enterprise-ready technologies
With its origins in 2011, Kotlin has been developed to solve particular problems that older technologies were incapable of solving. Since it was created for enterprise applications, it's well suited for them. Many app development companies have also tried and tested it in several applications.
Easy to learn
A Kotlin language is easier to learn than any other Java-compatible language. The code is easy to read, even by someone unfamiliar with the language. Additionally, it prevents errors. Those who work with Java are already familiar with this language. There are only a few unique features in Kotlin that Java lacks. The Kotlin language gives developers more options for creative problem-solving.
Language-compatible IDEs
Language development began in 2011 and culminated in its release in 2016. Before reaching its final version, this language was improved through the alpha and beta stages.
As a result, the use of Kotlin appears to be defined before its final release. Due to these capabilities, the language is well-suited for cross-platform IDEs and is well-equipped with features common to other programming languages. Despite the use of Java features, the Kotlin plugin works in IDEs.
The Swift language for Android development
Android Studio and Kotlin integrate seamlessly. Many programmers would not have imagined how fast it would be. The setting up of a project into a function can be done in less than a minute! Even newbies can do this. As a result, Kotlin programmers should be able to breathe easier.
A plugin is required to integrate Android 2.3 with Kotlin, and the Android 3.0 version of the operating system also integrates with it. It can be used with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) where debugging is possible without limitations. Most of the Kotlin features work well with the capabilities of almost all Java environments.
Evading Developer Obsoleteness
It is integral for developers to realize the efficiency and effectiveness of modern languages in simplifying their work. With Kotlin, a developer is well assured of this. Modern languages provide developers and programmers with many options for tackling a task. As a result, it determines the developer's success.
Conclusion
Kotlin is the best when developing Android apps because it can adapt to gradual changes within large or small organizations. Using Kotlin android development offers many advantages.
In the next few years, Kotlin developers will be in high demand as businesses move to Kotlin.