Kotlin, despite being open-source since 2012, gained significant traction in 2017 when Google announced its first-class support at the I/O Conference.
How did this relatively unknown language rise to prominence so rapidly, capturing the attention of major players like Google for Android App Development?
To understand, let’s explore Kotlin’s development history, its functionality, unique advantages, and how developers worldwide are leveraging it to realize their digital aspirations.
Kotlin was developed by JetBrains, the creators of IntelliJ IDEA, a Java-based integrated development environment for software development.
Drawing on their expertise from IntelliJ IDEA, JetBrains shifted their focus to Java, recognizing its popularity among developers worldwide. However, they also identified limitations hindering developers’ expression within the framework.
JetBrains aimed to simplify the learning and coding process, creating a language akin to Java but with improved ease and efficiency, requiring less manual coding for the same tasks.
After years of development, Kotlin was officially introduced in 2011 and became open-source in 2012. Although its launch was modest, word spread about Kotlin’s user-friendly nature, compatibility, and versatility as both an object-oriented and functional language.
Additionally, Kotlin gained substantial community support and expanded development teams under JetBrains, making it accessible for new developers to learn and use within days.
Kotlin operates similarly to Java, making it easy for developers familiar with Java to transition smoothly.
While the two languages share many similarities, there are some key distinctions. These range from minor differences like the optional use of semicolons in Kotlin to significant changes such as the ability to create extension functions and the absence of null variables and objects.
Here are some unique features of Kotlin:
In Kotlin, semicolons are generally unnecessary and optional, except in certain situations, simplifying the coding process and speeding up development.
Kotlin infers variable types from the context, eliminating the need for explicit declaration. This reduces manual coding and enhances development efficiency.
Kotlin includes built-in support for null safety, reducing the risk of NullPointerException errors commonly found in Java. This leads to fewer coding errors and streamlines testing and debugging processes.
Kotlin seamlessly integrates with Java, allowing developers to incorporate Kotlin into existing Java projects. Kotlin also provides a conversion tool for easy migration from Java to Kotlin.
While Kotlin is widely used in Android app development, it is not limited to mobile applications. It can be utilized in various environments, including server-side and client-side web applications, providing flexibility and versatility for developers.
Since Google designated Kotlin as the official language for Android in 2017, businesses worldwide have adopted it.
To illustrate its popularity, here’s what some major companies are doing with Kotlin:
Transitioning from Java to Kotlin has empowered the Pinterest app to enhance user experience with faster, more efficient, and accurate code writing. This has facilitated more frequent updates and ensured an optimal experience across various platforms.
Initially intrigued by Kotlin, Trello’s development team fully embraced it over time, with Kotlin making up around 30.8 percent of the codebase as of 2018. This percentage is likely to have increased since then.