Are you looking to change the existing language that you’ve been using for developing your Android apps? If so, then Kotlin might be the right alternative. It is an open-source, statically typed programming language supported by Google since 2017 in its Android Studio IDE.
It’s a preferred language for Android app development and has gained popularity in recent times due to several factors like modern features and concise syntax. Used with Java Virtual Machine, it has gained the trust of more than 9.4% of developers for Android app development. Other than Google’s support, Kotlin’s development tools, documentation, and libraries have made it an obvious choice for Android app development.
However, there are many different reasons other than the one listed above that make Kotlin a preferred choice for Android app development. Let us explore why developers are choosing Kotlin over other languages for native Android app development. Read on for details.
Reasons why you should consider Kotlin for Android app development?
Kotlin is not just another mobile app development shift, but it is the future of app development projects. Let us dive deeper into the 10 key reasons why organizations and developers should choose Kotlin for Android app development.
1. Expressive, concise, and easy to read
Kotlin cuts down approximately 40% of the code lines when compared to Java which helps developers reduce verbosity and remove unnecessary boilerplate. This feature leads developers to focus mainly on creating innovative features rather than getting trapped in the number of lines of code.
Moreover, its clean syntax allows developers who are new to this language to comprehend the code easily. Its features such as type inference and named parameters add to its readability. Additionally, codes written in Kotlin are more expressive which helps in improving its maintainability. Features such as ease of readability and fewer lines of code make it easier to catch errors and enable a faster production rate. All these features add up to make Kotlin a top choice, especially for large and complex app development projects.
2. Open Source Language
It’s an open-source language which means a highly cooperative nature to its development and maintenance. Being cooperative means that bugs and errors can be identified and resolved quickly as open-source languages get contributions from developers across the world.
Moreover, when a programming language is open source, it facilitates more transparency and builds confidence among developers because the source code is easily available for anyone to inspect and update. Also, it’s way more accessible to developers working in smaller organizations as they can easily use and contribute to Kotlin development without any licensing fee.
3. Enterprise-ready technology
Kotlin has been in development since 2011 and now it’s become a quite mature technology. It was designed to solve development problems that older technologies could not handle. This makes it a perfect fit for enterprise-level applications.
At present, it comes integrated with Android Studio while offering excellent IDE and tooling assistance from Google. When tech giants like Google have invested in this language, it's safe to predict that the future of Kotlin is secured, with several planned features, libraries, and resources yet to be announced. This means that Android apps made using Kotlin are guaranteed to get the required updates and support.
4. Improved type safety
Developers are leveraging Kotlin’s safety features to write reliable and trustworthy codes. It reduces the probability of runtime errors and improves overall code quality.
One such major safety feature of this language is its null safety. This safety feature distinguishes between nullable and non-nullable types which further helps developers stay away from Null Pointer Exception (NPE), a common origin of error in most programming languages.
Previously before Kotlin, the number one cause of app crashes on Google Play Store was NPE. But when Kotlin came into existence, it was applied on Google Home, and its products which helped in significantly reducing NPE crashes over the course of a year.
Further, developers now can indicate whether a variable holds a null value or not which makes code more predictable and reduces the risks of an unexpected null reference.
5. Java interoperability
Kotlin is totally interoperable with Java and it allows developers to utilize both languages in their projects, making it the future of mobile app development. Moreover, libraries and frameworks written in Java can now be used in Kotlin and vice-versa without any problem, making it easy for Java developers to learn Kotlin.
Also, it allows developers to migrate gradually from Java to Kotlin due to its extensive features availability that they can add to their projects. As they share the same development environment, there are no additional charges when using both languages while working on a single project. Therefore, it becomes easier and inexpensive for developers and app development companies.
6. Extensive features
Other than just Java interoperability and null safety features, Kotlin facilitates a set of other helpful features as well to support your Android application development process. Here is the list:
A. Functional programming
Functional programming paradigms of Kotlin like higher-order function, immutability, and lambdas make it easier to draft expressive and concise codes.
B. Standby library
One can easily use higher-order functions by following common patterns. These functions make it easier to perform queries on collections and sequences.
C. Data classes
They hold data and generate additional member functions, making outputs more readable and subsequently eliminating tedious tasks and errors.
D. Built in support for coroutines
They help boost Android app performance and scalability in server-side applications because of these lightweight threads that allow for non-blocking and asynchronous programming.
E. Smart casts
This feature automatically casts variables to specific types and that’s also within a conditional block which reduces the requirement for explicit casts checks.
7. Multiplatform development support
Kotlin multiplatform, an attribute of Kotlin can help developers in building multiplatform apps. You can save your development time and effort by reusing and sharing code between the platforms. Additionally, it eliminates the need to introduce any new language for writing platform-specific code as Kotlin’s single codebase and easy-to-learn concepts have covered it all.
Furthermore, this language supports development for multiple platforms which includes Android, Linux, Mac, Windows, and others. Also, it possesses a continuously growing multiplatform library ecosystem with tons of libraries such as SQLDelight, Apollo, Ktor, and more which makes tasks easier to accomplish.
8. Diverse and strong portfolio
From startups to Fortune 500 companies, numerous apps are built using Kotlin. Moreover, companies like Netflix, Pinterest, Duolingo, and Uber have publicly stated that they use Kotlin language in their Android apps.
A list of companies that have utilized Kotlin for their backend development are as follows:
- Atlassian
- Amazon
- Zald
- OLX
All this demonstrates a strong portfolio of this popular Android app development language. Additionally, the unshakable reliance of such large companies on Kotlin assists developers and Android app development companies in making a thoughtful choice.
Conclusion
Wrapping up, it can be said that Kotlin is a go-to programming language that provides numerous benefits to users and it’s not just made for Android app development but also full stack website and multiplatform mobile development projects. Multiple reasons make this language popular among developers, some of them are enhanced type safety, interoperability with Java, conciseness, and other extensive features.
Furthermore, when deciding on a technology stack for Android solutions, your decision to switch from Java to Kotlin will depend on several factors which mainly include team expertise, project requirements, and ecosystem support.
