Kotlin vs. Java for Android app development
Kotlin vs Java is one of the most popular topics these days. When it comes to Android app development, Java language is the top priority language that hits the mind of coders. In 2018, It is the second most popular programming language (67%) on GITHUB after JavaScript (97%).
Despite the undisputable fame of Java as an object-oriented programming language, Android was long in need of a modern language. Kotlin fulfilled that need ever since it was announced as the official language for Android past years. On Udemy, programmers taking Kotlin courses spiked by 95% in 2017, making it the hot technical skill for 2018.
Since the beginning of 2018, around 1.5 million developers utilize Kotlin language, and halfway through 2019, that number had doubled. With colossal brands starting to utilize Kotlin, support from JetBrains and Google, and an almost worldwide attachment to the language, it’s pretty safe to say that Kotlin will be around for a while.
So, both Java and Kotlin provide fierce competition for each other. Thus, we have significantly differentiated between Kotlin and Java language.
We will provide answers to some questions related to both Kotlin language as well as Java language. We will discuss advantages, significant differences based on various parameters, technical differences, and much more.
Java & its benefits
Java is an object-oriented programming language. Using this highly recommended language, coders can create any program, and it is also compatible with almost any type of machine. It efficiently works in Linux, Windows, and even for mobile devices in Android.
Currently, Java has one of the most essential and largest communities in the world. This language, both on the Internet and in the computer field, is necessary. Java can be used to make complex tasks more manageable.
- Java is a portable language and easy to learn.
- It carries security features and high performance
- With the help of Java, you can create modular programs and reusable code.
It is a robust, dynamic, and efficient language. - It provides network-centric programming.
- A massive number of IDEs and open source development tools have been written in Java, making it a highly recommended and strong development language.
- Cases used by Java — Android-OSS, NewPipe, WordPress Engineering
Kotlin & its Benefits
Kotlin was first introduced by JetBrains in 2011, which is the originator of IntelliJ IDE, PyCharm, and many other popular IDEs. It was announced at Google I/O as the second official language of Android app development. Since then, It has been working in conjunction with the Google cloud platforms Gradle and Spring frameworks.
Kotlin as a potential candidate for the programming language of the year 2017 due to some interesting stats, its presence in the popular TIOBE index, Google’s official support, and its own research which confirmed that Kotlin grabs the interest of a surprising part of JAXenter’s readers.
Many organizations involved in mobile app development have already started to hire Android app developers who are proficient in Kotlin rather than Java. It is an open-source language & costs nothing to adopt.
- Kotlin is approachable and can be learned quickly.
- It uses existing Java Frameworks & Libraries.
- It compiles to JVM bytecode or JavaScript.
- Code reviews are not an issue in Kotlin.
- Automatic conversion of Java to Kotlin.
- Cases used by Kotlin — Pinterest, Trella, Car Lens.\
