Complete Guide to Kotlin For Android App Development

In 2020, Kotlin was renowned as the 4^th most-loved language. It still holds the 2^nd position in the top 5 Android programming languages in the world. Let’s look into Guide to Kotlin For Android App Development

As Kotlin is the official programming language for android development, many developers want to learn it. But the path of learning this language is not smooth as the new learners think.

If you are not familiar with any other programming language, it’s going to be tough for you to learn Kotlin. However, someone with a good knowledge of Java can easily master it.

Whether you are going to have first-hand experience in programming or learn Kotlin as your second language, this comprehensive guide will help you. So, let’s begin!

Introduction to Kotlin For Android App Development

Kotlin is a statically typed, object-oriented, cross-platform, and general-purpose programming language that has been developed by JetBrains for Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Today, it is in high demand and rapidly growing as one of the favorite languages for android app development after Java. With its increasing popularity, a lot of companies are shifting their code base from Java to Kotlin.

Is it better in terms of Java?

A big yes! The lines of code that a developer needs to write in Kotlin are fewer than in Java. This means that you can complete a task with less time and effort with Kotlin. In addition, the codes become easily readable and simpler.

Because of these, it would be easy for any Kotlin developer to fix bugs and errors. Many other characteristics of Kotlin are there that turn it into one of the popular choices for android app development. Let’s see some of them here.

Interoperability

Interoperability is one of the most admired features of the Kotlin language. It doesn’t matter whether you have written a piece of code in Java or Kotlin, both will work together.

There is also a tool in Android studio to transform your Java code into Kotlin. So the next time when you will be working on an app project, don’t worry if both languages are used at a time by your team.

Brilliant IDE and Support

Backed by JetBrains, Kotlin comes with extended support. When it comes to the community backing Kotlin, the number of contributors compared to Java-like languages has surged recently. You can take the help of the growing community to fix the issues in your existing project.

Null Safety

Kotlin boasts in-built null safety which removes the need of assigning a variable or object along with a null value. Due to this, developers can boost their productivity while enabling the smooth functioning of the app.

On the other hand, Java used to consume time as NullPointerException causes errors. The developers are allowed to assign a null value to the variables and object reference. Ultimately, such values end up crashing most Android apps.

Code Compilation Timing and Performance

With Kotlin speeding up compilation time and offering good performance, no developer will hesitate from using it over choosing Java. Still, it has a long way to go in meeting the compilation speed of Java.

Java programs can compile 10-15% faster due to the use of lambdas and inline functions. But when it comes to compiling programs incrementally, Kotlin does it better.

Functional Programming

Java has support for functional programming but only if you are using Java 8 or later versions whereas Kotlin contains the compatibility of both procedural and functional programming.

It provides access to some important functions like higher-order functions, inline functions, generics, recursion, anonymous functions, and much more. In simple words, it has all the characteristics which are necessary for functional programming.

Checked Exceptions

A check exception or a logical expression tells you that something is wrong with your code. It is handled by the compiler during the compilation process.

In case a method carries that expression, either it should handle it or developers must assign the “thrown” keyword. This becomes a time-consuming process especially when developers have to go through all the nonexistent exceptions to handle or declare them as thrown.

Fortunately, Kotlin does not have checked exceptions, so you can save a lot of time in writing the code.

Delegation

Kotlin is way ahead of Java in terms of this feature. In Kotlin programming, you can delegate an operation to the second delegate object (called a helper object). Such objects are loaded with original content so that no developer has to write it again. Thanks to the multiple inheritances for preventing code duplication.

Data Classes

While working on big projects, the number of data classes goes very high but the basic purpose is to hold the data. To accomplish a task with Java, you will have to do a lot such as define constructors, fields for data storage, etc.

In Kotlin, task accomplishment is handled differently. You can add the “data” keyword in the class definition to avoid any kind of manual setup. Leave the generation of getters and setters on the compiler.

What is the future of Kotlin?

Undoubtedly, Kotlin has a bright future ahead. It has helped some big market players like Pinterest, Trello, Uber, Kickstarter, and Tinder improve their existing platforms.

Thus, learning Kotlin will be a great way of setting you apart from competitors. If you are a mobile app development company in bangalore, Kotlin will behave as a game changer in developing fast-functioning applications. In the coming years, we may see Kotlin as the next big thing for the app development industry.

You don’t need to be an expert programmer or a linguist to get started with Kotlin for Android development. Some dedication and consistency will help you to master it effortlessly.

Conclusion

As the Android platform continues to expand throughout the coming years, many developers and Android app development companies in Bangalore will want to update their skill sets to take advantage of the new technologies available.

Kotlin is one such technology, with robust support and a variety of great features. It’s a versatile language that’s well worth learning, and the skills you gain can be applied to other languages or projects with ease.  Even it is getting popular among some iOS app development companies in India.

It’s only going to continue growing in popularity over time, so why not get ahead of the curve? Give Kotlin a try today!