Java is a well-known programming language with a wide range of open-source tools and libraries to aid development. Nonetheless, no language is error-free, and even Java has complexities that can make the developer’s work frustrating and complicated. If anything, Kotlin will provide solutions to common programming problems and enhance the entire Java ecosystem.

Over the past two years, Kotlin has developed into a more stable and consistent development option for Android Studio. Several developers have the belief that Kotlin will replace Java for Android development in the next few years. Other developers and experts believe that Kotlin and Java did not see them outweighing each other when used together.

In most cases, Kotlin's advantages outweigh the disadvantages of the language. There are certain limitations in Java that hinder the design of the Android API. Kotlin is basically light, clean, and hassle-free, especially for writing callbacks, data classes, and receivers/configurators. Kotlin is particularly designed to enhance the existing Java model and provides a solution for API design flaws.

What is Java?

Java is a concurrent, class-based, and object-oriented programming language. It was released by Sun Microsystem in 1995. Without Java installed, a large number of applications and websites will not be able to run, and more applications and websites will be created daily.

What Is Kotlin?

Kotlin is a programming language type for Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and JavaScript. Kotlin is described as a multi-functional language and has features that support Java interoperability. The Kotlin project was created out of the passion for improved performance. The aim is to improve the programming experience by making it practical and effective.

Kotlin focuses on creating projects that feature different languages. In addition to Kotlin introduced enhanced syntax and concise expressions and abstractions. Combining Kotlin with Java can reduce unnecessary boilerplate code, which is a huge victory for Android developers.

Extension Functions

With Kotlin, developers can add new functionality to classes using extension functions. While these functions can be used in other programming languages ​​like C #, they are not available in Java.

Extensions are easy to create in Kotlin. To do this, you need to add the class name, to which the prefix of the name of the created function should be added. To call this function an example of an extended class, use the ‘.’ notation.

Null Safety

For developers, one of the most annoying questions about Java is NullPointerExceptions. Using Java, developers can add a null value to any variable. However, if you try to use an object reference with a null value, you get a NullPointerException!

Contrary to Java, all types are not available in Kotlin by default. When a developer tries to assign or return null in Kotlin code, it will fail during compilation. However, there is a way out. In order to assign a zero value to a variable in Kotlin, the variable must be explicitly marked as reversible. You can do this by adding a question mark after the type.

So, NullPointerExceptions are not available in Kotlin. If you come across such an exception in Kotlin, there is a higher probability that you have explicitly assigned a null value, or it is caused by external Java code.

Productivity

Another important advantage of Kotlin over Java is that it was designed to aid developers' productivity.

We cannot conclude that the productivity gains come from precise code, including its intuitive syntax and clean language design in general. It takes less time to write, deploy and scale the new Kotlin code.

In addition, Kotlin offers more options for improving developer productivity than its accurate, easy-to-understand code. In that sense, the language is full of many powerful features that speed up day-to-day development tasks:

• Object declarations
• Parameter values
• Extension functions

No Checked Exceptions

There may be problems with the exceptional features enabled in Java. Checked exceptions happen when the compiler forces the features to catch or restart the exception. The fact is that checked exceptions are usually unnecessary and will result in empty catch blocks. Unchecked exceptions are interesting to developers as empty catch blocks will force developers to search the code to identify exceptions that are not existing. Being a solution, Kotlin will delete them completely, thereby minimizing data and improving write security.

Interoperability

Interoperability is the primary purpose of Kotlin. From the outset, the aim of the project was to utilized existing knowledge and expertise to make each library accessible to Kotlin programmers. Kotlin developers can easily use it to write modules that work perfectly in existing Java code. By issuing a byte code, the Kotlin compiler enables two languages ​​to work together in the same project.

Brevity

Many developers love Kotlin for its simplicity. This is a quality that is not found in Java. However, readability should always be prioritized over concision. Kotlin's succinct nature simplifies the work of developers and reduces the risk of errors, but Kotlin does not practice concision because of concision.

One of the key factors in attaining productivity is brevity. When developers get more features for each line of code, large projects will be easier to write. An important remark here is that Kotlin will not overlook understanding because of brevity. The syntax is concise, clear, and easy to understand, but it is versatile.

One Class Per File Restriction

Every developer loves clean code, and the files have always been a representation of a single class. If we want to define an additional class in the same file, it must be a nested class. If our code is clean enough, it generally cannot be accessed from outside.

This keeps our files more integrated and organized. In addition, we don't need to waste time thinking about naming a file, as long as we understand how to give it contained class a name since the two names are the same.

However, this restriction does not exist in Kotlin. The whole codebase can be in a single file; files can have only one function. This introduces them to an anarchic environment with a potentially corrupt global area of ​​multiple functions/variables of the same name.

Join our distributed community & embrace remote working through Upstack! Upstack makes it easy to hire remote java and kotlin developers.