Why is Kotlin the Future of Android App Development?
Every developer generally looks for languages that can help ensure quick and seamless development and there’s no better choice than Kotlin. And, after Google announced Kotlin as their preferred app development language, it became a no-brainer for every mobile developer. It has also provoked a long discussion and triggered a huge debate about whether Kotlin is the future of Android app development or not.
To help you better understand whether Kotlin is right for you or not and the future of Android app development for your projects, we have curated this article to help you ensure you have a strong stand. So, let’s not fret about it and simply jump right into this discussion on whether Kotlin is the future of Android app development!
What is Kotlin and Why is it the Future of Android App Development Projects?
Kotlin is mostly popular because it is supported by Google and used for all of their Android development projects; and, who wouldn’t love to jump on the bandwagon created by Google, a multi-national and premier software company? Kotlin is a cross-platform technology that is statically typed and also a general-purpose programming language that runs type interference; so, you get access to a great programming language that is not only the future of Android app development but also one that comes with numerous benefits that add to the language’s overall popularity.
But, why exactly is Kotlin the future of Android app development and why should you choose Kotlin for your next development projects? We have listed a few reasons and benefits that you can reap when you develop Kotlin apps; and, we recommend you go through this list before you partner with a Kotlin app development company and invest a lot of money in hiring Kotlin developers.
Benefits of Kotlin and Reasons Why it is the Future of Android App Development
Some standout features of Kotlin that impress Android developers and might win you over are listed as follows. Here, we will also learn how the language sets itself apart from all the different technologies that are generally used in Android app development. Please note that since Kotlin is mainly based on Java, most of these advantages are the benefits that Kotlin language provides over Java! So, buckle up and get ready to learn how Kotlin is better than one of the most popular programming languages in the industry.
Ability to write concise code
If you have worked with older programming languages like C++ and Java, you surely know that coding in these languages can be quite repetitive; for example, to ensure that your Java code works properly, you must write the same few lines in a particular order. However, Kotlin is quite different as it is concise and allows developers to communicate the same task in a few simple lines.
In simple terms, this means that Kotlin doesn’t have long boilerplates that you can avoid, which allows you to quickly get into development. Since the ability to write concise code is merely enabled by the simple syntax that Kotlin has, Kotlin code is generally quite readable; so, several people can work on the same Kotlin code, which helps boost collaboration and makes the language the future of Android app development.
Perfect for enterprise requirements
Witnessing Kotlin’s popularity, you might feel that the app was developed long back, but truth be told, it was developed in 2011 to address and solve the development challenges older programming languages posed. This offers a great benefit that hugely contributes to the popularity of Kotlin as the future of Android app development – Kotlin is suited for the development of enterprise applications and can easily maintain them.
Owing to the integration of Kotlin with Android Studio and Google’s unlimited support for the language, Kotlin’s popularity has increased and led to its adoption in the Android ecosystem; and, if previous tech trends have been right, the huge interest of two huge companies on a language is a sure shot way to launch it into the spotlight and unequivocally make it the future of Android app development!
Secure and safe codebase
Another problem with older programming languages is that they can be quite error-prone, meaning when you program in Java, you need to be careful of code crashes and bugs; after all, the Null Pointer Exception in Java causes most code crashes and can lead to an increase in the overall development time needed.
But, this problem is easily eliminated when you program with Kotlin, making it the future of Android app development. After all, Kotlin avoids issues like the Null Pointer Exception and the language’s compiler performs numerous checks to ensure that your codebase is secure and safe and does not crash as frequently as it might in Java. This is also the reason why numerous businesses invest in Kotlin developers and partner with a professional Kotlin app development company; because who doesn’t like to have a secure and stable app that keeps catering to customer needs as needed?
Interoperability with Java
Now, if you are a big Java fan and are sad that Kotlin would eliminate coding in Java, don’t be! This is because developers can seamlessly use Kotlin features and functions in their existing Java projects and can also smoothly call their Java code from the developed Kotlin app.
Hence, Kotlin is a great Android app development option for those who already know how to code in Java; also, since this feature allows developers to mix and match Kotlin and Java codes as much as possible, you can ensure quick and seamless development of a completely functional app catered for your users!
Supports multi-platform development
We have made it clear how Kotlin is the future of Android app development, but here’s a bonus for you – Kotlin also offers something called Kotlin Multiplatform that allows developers to build multiplatform apps. This means that developers can reuse and share the same code between different platforms, which ultimately helps save development time, effort, and costs in the long run.
This also means that you can make do with a single codebase that you can easily develop with the help of Kotlin’s easy-to-learn syntax and development concepts;, another benefit is that this eliminates the need for introducing platform-specific languages to ensure your app seamlessly functions on multiple platforms.
A Heads Up – Kotlin Challenges that You Might Face
Although Kotlin is undoubtedly the future of Android app development, the first problem that most Kotlin developers face is upgrading from Java. After all, Java is an old programming language and most businesses have their codebase in the language; so, migrating to Kotlin and learning new syntax might seem a hassle and time-consuming process. Some other challenges that you must be prepared to face when adopting Kotlin include:-
- Third-Party Library and Framework Integrations
- Increase in app’s binary size if developers are not careful
Conclusion
Kotlin has several benefits that make it a must-try language and the future of Android app development. We hope the above article helped you better understand how the language contributes to the Android development community and prepared you to take on Kotlin challenges. If you do not have technical knowledge or are not accustomed to Kotlin, we recommend you hire Kotlin developers and reduce the burden on your shoulders!
