With the current surge in mobile and online application development, there is a huge demand for programming languages that make it easier and faster to create mobile and web applications. Kotlin is one such language that has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Kotlin is a programming language that was first introduced in 2016. It's open-source and a statically typed JVM-based language that can be compiled into JavaScript. JetBrains developed Kotlin, a concise, safe, interoperable, and tool-friendly programming language.
The history of Kotlin programming language
JetBrains, the maker of popular IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm, created Kotlin as a programming language. Kotlin was created as an alternative to Java that was more concise, readable, and secure. Kotlin is compatible with Java and can be used for both Android development and server-side development. In 2016, Google recognized Kotlin as a first-class language for Android development. Kotlin has gained popularity among developers since then.
When Google already has Java, why did it pick Kotlin?
Since the early days of Android, Google has been using Java. Oracle filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google in 2010, alleging that Android had infringed on their Java property. The trial is still proceeding, but it has the potential to have a significant impact on Android's future. If Oracle prevails in the dispute, it might force Google to pay billions of dollars and order the company to stop using Java in Android. This would be a big setback for the platform, making it more difficult for developers to produce Android apps.
So, what has Google done in the meantime? They decided to get away from Java as soon as possible, and they did so by collaborating with JetBrains. Kotlin is now Google's preferred language for Android development. Are there any additional reasons Kotlin is better?
Kotlin Advantages
Kotlin is a more modern, less verbose language than Java. This makes the code easier to read and write, and more maintainable.
Kotlin was created as a more concise, secure, and interoperable Java replacement. Null safety, type inference, extensions, and lambdas are among the new features that make programming faster and easier.
Kotlin is also backward compatible with Java, so you may use it right away without rewriting any existing code.
In comparison to Java, Kotlin requires far less boilerplate code. As a result, writing Kotlin code is easier and faster, and Kotlin applications are often shorter and more readable than their Java counterparts.
Kotlin can be used to create both Android and web applications. It's also being marketed as a new language that mixes object-oriented and functional programming techniques to make coding faster than ever.
Will all of Google's future apps be created in Kotlin?
Google’s support for Kotlin shows that they are committed to making Android development more efficient and enjoyable. Overall, Kotlin outperforms Java in many ways, and Google believes it is the best option for Android development in the future.
There's no denying that Google substantially invested in Kotlin. They've already made Kotlin their preferred language for Android app development, and they're continuing to invest in Kotlin-specific tools and resources. However, it's unlikely that all of Google's apps will be written in Kotlin in the future. Google offers a wide range of products and services, and Kotlin isn't the perfect fit for every one of them. Google's online apps, for example, are still written in JavaScript.
Of course, anything is possible, and Google could pleasantly surprise us all by switching to Kotlin for all app development. For the time being, it seems that they're taking a more pragmatic approach, employing Kotlin where it makes sense and continuing with other languages where they've had success.
Kotlin for mobile development
Mobile development is difficult, but Kotlin makes it easier. Kotlin is a concise, powerful, and easy-to-learn programming language. Kotlin is also more expressive than Java, so your code will be easier to read and maintain. You can write less code and do more using Kotlin. Kotlin also has great tooling support. The Kotlin plugin for Android Studio provides excellent code completion and analysis. There are also many great libraries available for Kotlin, such as Anko and Koin. Anko means the first two letters of the words Android and Kotlin. JetBrains maintains the Anko library. It speeds up the building of clean Android apps.
Conclusion
JetBrains invented Kotlin in 2011 as a modern programming language. Its goal is to create a more concise, secure, and interoperable Java replacement. Kotlin is a functional language that is also object-oriented. It runs on the JVM and is statically typed. Kotlin has gained popularity among developers since Google announced it as a preferred language in 2016.
Kotlin can be used to create both Android and web applications. Since Kotlin uses less boilerplate code and offers a more expressive syntax, developers can write code faster and more efficiently. Furthermore, Kotlin's features such as null-safety and infix operators make it easier to work with complex data structures.
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