History of Kotlin
Kotlin is comparatively a replacement statically typed language by 2017, developed by JetBrains. Kotlin addresses most of the redundancies present in Java artificial language, and also new features are added that would make android application development faster and easier.
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin could be a artificial language that, after its release in 2016 by JetBrains. Kotlin could be a statically typed programing language that runs on the JVM and works across the various platforms. Kotlin runs on the Java virtual machine and also compiled to JavaScript ASCII text file.
Kotlin encompasses a lot more to supply than Java. Because Java and Kotlin are highly interoperable, they’ll be used together within the same project.
In 2019, Google has announced Kotlin as their preferred language for Android development.
Why should we use kotlin
Here are the some strongest reasons why, as an Android developer, you have to start seeing this programming language as a viable alternative to Java:
1. Kotlin is Completely Interoperable With Java
This is one of the biggest conveniences of Kotlin that it’s compatible with Java. With all its frameworks and tools, you can easily add these to your Kotlin projects — easy and nice —without need to change the entire project in Java. Therefore, it means if you make up your mind to switch over to Kotlin then migrating your project from Java is really a piece of cake.
2. Kotlin is More Concise Than Java
This is one of the biggest advantages of Kotlin over Java that you are able to solve the same problems using few lines of code .There other benefits that derive from code conciseness, including code that is:
- Eeasier to maintain
- Easier to read
- Easier to apply changes to when needed
Some features of Kotlin that are “responsible” for its code conciseness are:
- Data classes
- Smart casts
- Type interface
- Properties
3. Safer Code
One of the top most advantages of Kotlin over Java is the null references. Accessing a null member result in a null pointer exception. This is one of the major drawbacks of Java which is solved in kotlin. Kotlin provide some classes to prevent null pointer exception
4:-kotlin Comes With a Smarter and Safer Compiler
When they created this programming language then adding a good compiler has been one of Kotlin’s development team’s main goals. Here are the some of the important aspects of the compiler in Kotlin:
- it can detect errors at compile time not at runtime.
- Performs lots of checks, reducing the number of bugs in the code and runtime errors.
5. It’s Easier to Maintain
Kotlin supports lots of IDEs, Android Studio included. Therefore, now you are free to use all those tried and tested development tools in which you’re comfortable with for maintaining your codebase at scale. This is another one of most advantages of Kotlin over Java.
Features of Kotlin
- 100% interoperable with Java and Android.
- Easy to be told.
- Concise, reducing the lines of code by 4Why should we use kotlin0% compared to Java.
- programming languages. • Null safety: Kotlin is null safety language.
- Kotlin aimed to eliminate the NullPointerException (null reference)
- Open Source: Kotlin could be a open source programing language.
- Smart cast: It explicitly typecasts the immutable values and inserts the worth in its safe cast automatically.
- Compilation Time: it’s better performance and fast compilation time.
- Tool-friendly: Kotlin programs are build using the statement likewise as any of
What are some technical advantages of Kotlin over Java?
- Lambda expressions
Lambda is a function which is define without name. It is defined with a curly braces {} which accept variable as a parameter (if any) and body of function. The body of function can be written after variable (if any) followed by -> operator.
- Inline functions
An inline function is define with an inline keyword. The use of inline function improves the performance of higher order function. It tells the compiler to copy functions and parameters to the call site. It copy the code to the calling place and similarly inline keyword copy the inline properties accessor methods at the calling place.
- Extension functions
Kotlin extension function had ability to “add” methods to class without inheriting a class.by using it we can simply add a particular function to a predefined class without declaring it inside the class.
- Null safety
Kotlin null safety is use to eliminate the risk of null reference from the code. If it found any null argument is passed without executing any other statements, Kotlin compiler will throws NullPointerException immediately.
- Smart casts
Smart cast is a feature of kotlin in which the compiler for kotlin tracks conditions inside if expression. If compiler founds any variable is not null of type nullable then the compiler will allow to access to that variable
- String templates Properties
As we know strings are a sequence of characters. For example, “Hello!” is a string literal. In Kotlin, all strings type are the objects of String class. Means, string literals such as “Hello!” are implemented as instances of this class. Kotlin has properties of String templates which are String literals that contain embedded expressions.
- Primary constructors
A Kotlin class can have one or more secondary constructors and a primary constructor . The primary constructor in kotlin is part of the class header: it can be after the class name (and optional type parameters). Primary constructor of kotlin is used to initialize the class. It is declared at class header. It’s code is surrounded by parentheses with optional parameter.
ex:-
- class myClass(valname: String,varid: Int) {
- // class body
- }
- Companion objects
If you want to write a function which can be called without having instance of class but needs access to the internals of a class then you can write it as a member of a companion object which is declaration inside that class. By declaring a companion object inside our class we will be able to call its members with the same syntax as calling static methods in Java/C#.
- Data classes
Kotlin data class is a simple class which is used to hold data and contains some standard functional. For declare a class as a data class a data keyword is used .While creating data class in kotlin you have to follow some rule.
ex:-
- data class User(val name: String, val age: Int)
- Coroutines
Coroutines in kotlin are a great feature which help you to write asynchronous code in a sequential fashion. It is a concurrency design pattern that you can use on android to simplify code that executes asynchronously.
