Kotlin, an open-source project, first appeared in 2011. Time passed and the debut on which language is better for Android App Development started. Java vs Kotlin is yet the most discussed topic among the developers while it is the most confusing topic for non-tech people. We did deep research on various app development programming languages and came up with some true points which needs to be considered before choosing Java or Kotlin.
From Developers Perspective
From unending debut on Java vs Kotlin, some major differences are listed below;
- Checked Exception: Kotlin needs no checked exceptions and no need to declare any try/catch block. While in Java, use of exception blocks is believed to be done for better error recovery.
- Code Conciseness: Comparing equivalent Java and Kotlin classes, Java requires more code to perform any action than Kotlin.
- Coroutines: When multiple threads are created in Java in background, it uses more memory, while Kotlin allows to create coroutines which are stackless and as a result uses less memory.
- Extending Functions: When there is a need to add new functionality to any class, Kotlin provides extension functions but in Java there is no availability of such functions.
- Null Pointers: Java allows to assign null pointers to any variables for NullPointerExceptions. While there is no NullPointerExceptions in Kotlin as null value can be assigned by putting question mark sign after the type.
- There are many other features like smart casts, static members, support for constructors, ternary operator, wildcard type that adds on to the features of Kotlin.
KOTLIN V/S JAVA
Pros & Cons : Kotlin
Pros
- Being used for Android app development as well as backend app development in Spring.
- Clean APIs can be built with smart extension functions.
- Starting with Kotlin is easy. Install Kotlin plugin and convert Java to Kotlin.
- More concise which in turn avoid errors.
- Interoperability: Kotlin works along with existing Java code and can integrate with Gradle or Maven build systems.
Cons
- Converting mobile team to Kotlin from Java can be both blessings as well as challenge.
- Small developer community.
- Sometimes slower compilation speed than java.
- Android Studio’s compilation and auto-complete feature works slower compared to Java.
Pros & Cons : Java
Pros
- Easy to learn and implement.
- Java is proved to good option for cross-platform apps.
- Run anywhere on browser or virtual machine.
- Huge ecosystem, as Google itself has adopted JVM for Android.
- Android relies on Java as it contains many standard libraries for Android SDK.
- Faster development speed and ensure faster build process than Kotlin.
Cons
- Java requires more code to be written, which in turn throws more errors and bugs.
- It has many limitations in developing Android API design.
- Slower as compared to many other languages and also uses more energy.
Why Kotlin is being preferred most by developers?
Since Google I/O 2k17, Kotlin has got huge attention from mobile app developers. Also Google keep announcing new things about how Kotlin should be early adapted for Android application development.
Besides, developers can effortlessly do challenging tasks and save time by reusing the code for same modules or features.
These reasons make Kotlin more used by developers nowadays.
End of Java?
Java is a language with huge number of libraries and is open-source. But no language is without faults. And there always comes a solution to overcome faults. Kotlin is the answer to problem occured in Java and it helps in overcoming design deficiencies in Android mobile application development.
Wrapping up
The number of developers writing code in Kotlin is increasing day by day. Big brands like Amazon, Zomato, Flipkart have been attracted to Kotlin and early adapting it in production.
Java on the other side has its own benefits in enterprise and software development.
Kotlin is proving new standard of coding with modern programming languages techniques, so it is obvious developers and non-tech people opt Kotlin for Android mobile app development.
Skywave Info Solutions has a rich experience in Kotlin development and has expert team Java developers as well. Reach us by dropping an email to info@www.skywaveinfosolutions.com and hire our dedicated developers to work for your dream project. Check our Mobile Services, Web Services, and Solutions we provide.
