It may have been around for a few years, but Kotlin has caused quite a stir within the mobile industry recently. The new programming language claims to replace Java and promises a quicker way to code whilst being completely interoperable with Java. So why has it only just started making waves?
We asked our Lead Developer and UK App Developer of the Year winner Charlie what he thinks…
Since its initial release in 2011 developers everywhere have been growing the language. I first started playing with Kotlin back in 2016 when Google began considering it as the primary tool for Android. However, it wasn’t until Google IO 2017 where they announced ‘first class support’ that it came into the mainstream. Since then a lot more developers adopted the language and are using it today.
Unlike other languages, Kotlin focuses on helping you write great code with your existing architecture. Using Kotlin is great, because it encourages better code practice and forces developers to think about the context of their code. And rolling it out within the team has been a breeze because it’s so adaptable to existing code.
It is entirely interoperable with Java meaning that there’s no cost to switch projects to Kotlin. We can convert Java class into Kotlin with ease. And Kotlin’s promise to be quicker to code? Well its interoperability also enables us to use all the libraries and frameworks that we’re used to. Which makes it much easier for our developers to adopt and learn.
So, what does Kotlin mean for our clients?
Compared to its long-winded and error-prone forerunner Java, Kotlin brings much needed simplicity to coding. It takes less time to write, less time to read and is far less vulnerable to bugs. The language has also been designed to maintain backward capability with many Java and Android projects. Making is easy to transform existing projects.
We’ve just rolled out our second app built entirely on Kotlin. The file sizes are smaller, there are fewer lines of code and it’s made building the app as a team much easier.
Switching to the new language was a no-brainer for the Android team at Sonin. It was developed to solve real-world development problems.
Thanks Charlie!
Want to know more?
If you need an Android app for your business, email us at info@sonin.agency or use our contact form to find out more.