The Kotlin Advantage: 6 Reasons Why Kotlin is Better Than Java

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Kotlin vs Java

What are the advantages of Kotlin over Java? Why should you make the switch to Kotlin, and what will you gain from doing so? Here are five of the biggest advantages that Kotlin has over Java, as well as a few features that Kotlin has that Java doesn’t have at all.

First, What’s the “Problem” with Java?

Java has been around for a while and the community of Java developers has accumulated tons of code and libraries that make development faster and easier. However, some drawbacks of Java have come to light as it’s aged. For example, many people like how Java works but don’t like the language itself; it’s verbose and forces you to spend time setting up your classes properly if you want them to function properly. Furthermore, many developers are calling for a more simplified programming model in which code becomes more expressive by removing the need for bloated frameworks.

Define Kotlin

Kotlin is a statically typed language for JVM and Android, developed by JetBrains. It’s 100% interoperable with Java, which means it can be used to extend existing Java code, or build new projects from scratch. Kotlin currently runs on Android (supporting Android Studio), and has integrations with many IDEs including IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, and NetBeans. Kotlin also has many advanced features like null safety and coroutines, as well as tooling support in all major IDEs. We also have online courses available if you’d like to learn Kotlin! Check out our Kotlin Fundamentals course here!

Biggest Advantages of Kotlin over Java

One of Kotlin’s most exciting advantages over Java involves type inference, which reduces a lot of common errors. One of Kotlin’s biggest advantages over Java involves type inference, which reduces a lot of common errors. Java requires programmers to manually specify types for each variable, or else risk introducing bugs by misunderstanding what data can and cannot be used in a given situation. If a developer wants to use an int value in one section of code and a String in another, he or she must define both variables with that specific type before proceeding—and then confirm (with extra testing) that everything works as intended when changes are made later on.

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Read More: Kotlin vs Java: Which is Better for Android App Development?

1. Interoperability with Java

So what’s so great about interoperability? For starters, it means developers can easily integrate their new Java code with existing Java frameworks and APIs. It also means you can use some of Java’s powerful functionalities (e.g., lambdas) in your Kotlin code. This reduces complexity by reducing friction between different tools and services. And lastly, it makes for an easier learning curve for people who want to switch over from Java to Kotlin because they will already be familiar with how things work from an API perspective. Note that interoperability doesn’t just benefit Java users—it benefits developers too.

2. It’s (way) More Concise than Java

The Kotlin programming language was developed by JetBrains—the same people who created IntelliJ, which Android Studio is based on. If you use Android apps as part of your daily life, you’ve probably interacted with at least one app that was built in Kotlin. This means that you already know how concise it can be when compared to Java—especially when it comes to dealing with null values and exceptions. Null value issues in Java code can get extremely complicated; they often involve iterating through massive arrays of objects, checking every value against a null checker before moving forward. With Kotlin, instead of using if statements and getter methods, we simply need to surround our variables with question marks to represent null-like behavior.

3. Its Code’s Safer

One of Kotlin’s biggest advantages over Java is how much safer it makes code. The language, which Google developed in conjunction with JetBrains (the company behind IntelliJ and other popular tools), offers built-in nullability checks that find a lot of errors—many of which wouldn’t be caught until runtime in an app coded in Java. Nullability checks don’t fix all problems, but they can eliminate common ones; being able to check for null references at compile time means you have to deal with fewer errors at runtime. Not only do nullable variables help avoid hard-to-debug runtime exceptions, they also help catch some impossible code paths up front.

4. It Comes with a Smarter and Safer Compiler

Compared to Java, Kotlin offers an improved compiler with a smarter design. For instance, when it comes to string interpolation, it requires fewer characters and evaluates them in a much safer way. All in all, Kotlin’s type system makes compilation almost zero-cost and saves developers a lot of time. It also avoids run-time errors that are common in most other languages.

5. It’s Easier to Maintain

Maintaining a large and old codebase can be difficult. In an attempt to make things easier, Kotlin adds a layer of syntactic sugar on top of Java to improve maintainability and readability while staying in sync with its JVM-based roots. Most Android developers won’t find it difficult to learn both languages, but those who are new to programming will surely enjoy using Kotlin because it makes coding much more intuitive. Plus, since all major Android development tools have been built with Kotlin in mind, Hire Android developers who can focus on building apps rather than having to learn two different languages.

6. It’s Been Created to Boost Your Productivity

High-quality applications that can be developed in much less time—this is a promise of Kotlin. The language was developed to make Android application development more efficient, and it’s based on Java. It allows developers to create scalable, high-performance apps and integrate with existing Java frameworks seamlessly. Its powerful toolset has already earned praise from some big names like Google. So, how exactly does it boost productivity? Let’s take a look at just five ways Kotlin will improve your speed as an app developer…

Conclusion

Whether you’re a brand new programmer or have been at it for years, learning a new language can be overwhelming. After all, it takes time to learn new syntax and best practices from scratch. If you’re considering taking your coding skills up a notch with Kotlin, remember that there’s no point in switching to something that won’t offer any improvement over what you already know.

Luckily, Kotlin has many powerful features which will make writing code easier and more efficient. From compile-time nullability checking to extension functions and an improved version of JavaScript interop, check out these five reasons why Kotlin is better than Java before making your decision!

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