7 Reasons Why Kotlin for Android is the Best | App Development
There is no denying that whenever we talk about Android app development, we think of Java. The majority of Android apps are indeed written in Java, but it isn’t the only option available out there. We can build Android apps in other languages too that can compile and run on Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Recently one such JVM language that’s growing in popularity among the Android community is Kotlin. Here we’ll go over 7 reasons why Kotlin is best for Android app development.
1. Kotlin is a much Simpler Language than Java
We all know that Java has been around for ages, and every time there’s a new update, it just gets even tougher for you. Though all these updates, new features, and new add-ons are useful, it just adds complexity to the language, and thus making it a bit tougher to code. On the other hand, Kotlin is relatively a new language with less complexity and updates, making it easier and simpler to code. It is also more concise than Java as it provides the same solution with a few lines of code.
2. Safer than Java: Fewer Bugs
Kotlin is safer than the long-existing language Java as it has fewer issues and bugs. Since there are fewer bugs, there’s a lot less time needed to fix said bugs. It also prevents the occurrence of common programming errors, by design, making it safer than Java to code. As a result, we’ll see fewer system failures and application crashes. The best thing about Kotlin is it helps you to write more stable & robust codes.
3. Ease of Interchangeability
One must say that interchangeability in Kotlin is a standout as the shift from Java to Kotlin is smooth, simple, and swift. This means one can have Kotlin and Java both alongside each other in the same project and can make the shift from Java to Kotlin whenever needed. As mentioned, there are no dramatic changes needed to make the shift because interoperability is a big bonus in Kotlin language.
4. An Enterprise Language
With a focus on the Enterprise segment market, Kotlin was developed in 2011. Also, it doesn’t emerge from an academic or research background like other JVM languages. Its mission was to provide cost-effective solutions to enterprises that aspire to have an Android app development. It was primarily developed to solve practical and real-world development problems.
5. Better Support for Functional Programming
Android community uses functional programming to solve a lot of tasks easily and consistently. Though functional programming was introduced in Java 8, it doesn’t offer as much support as Kotlin for functional programming.
6. No more Null-Pointer Exception
When you rewrite an API, and the runtime null goes into a non-null API, it will result in a null argument exception as a result of a forced crash. It helps save a lot of time when you are rewriting an API and communicating with your team.
7. Completely Supported by the IDE Android Studio
Since Kotlin was developed by JetBrains, the company that designed the Android Studio IDE, it has complete support from Android Studio. When a developer wants to convert a Java file into Kotlin, all it takes is a few small changes in the Android Studio menu. And voila! Your file is now smoothly converted into Kotlin.
Though Kotlin is growing in popularity and has a smaller developer community, the community is growing at a steady pace. Moreover, with the advantages of Kotlin such as ease of interchangeability, interoperability, etc., Kotlin is considered as the best programming language for Android app development.
We, at TechAffinity, have a team of expert mobile app developers with extensive knowledge in both Kotlin & Java. Hence, by keeping the advantages of both the languages in mind, our experts make wise decisions in using them in the right place depending on the business needs. Send your queries to media@techaffinity.com or share your queries with us by scheduling a meeting.
Originally published at https://techaffinity.com on December 23, 2019.
