Kotlin Overview

Kotlin, a programming language released just three years ago by JetBrains, has rapidly gained popularity within the industry. According to StackOverflow, Kotlin was the 4th most beloved language in 2020, receiving 62.9% of votes. It has also made its way to the top 20 programming languages listed by Redmonk. Additionally, Kotlin is among the top 3 languages that businesses are planning to migrate their apps to in 2022.

In January 2022, Kotlin released version 1.4, with the next one scheduled for June 2022. This shows the continued commitment of the Kotlin team to improve and evolve the language. Furthermore, with Kotlin Multiplatform, developers can now build cross-platform apps using Kotlin.

Many global companies, including Google, Netflix, Amazon, and Trello, are already using Kotlin for their projects. Pinterest and Uber are also among the companies that have migrated their apps to Kotlin from Java.

Kotlin’s rapid growth and popularity can be attributed to its powerful features, ease of use, and cross-platform capabilities. With its continued development and adoption by major companies, Kotlin is set to become even more prevalent in the programming industry.

Kotlin is also an excellent choice for developing Android libraries, providing developers with several advantages over other programming languages. In this article, we will discuss the advantages of using Kotlin to develop Android libraries.

  • Interoperability with Java:

Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, which means that developers can use existing Java libraries and frameworks when developing Android libraries in Kotlin. This interoperability allows developers to leverage existing Java libraries and frameworks, which can save time and effort in development.

  • Concise syntax:

Kotlin’s concise syntax makes it easy to write readable and maintainable code. This is especially important when developing libraries, which must be easy to understand and use for other developers.

  • Null-safety:

Kotlin’s null-safety features help prevent null pointer exceptions, which are a common source of bugs in Android development. This feature makes Kotlin an excellent choice for developing Android libraries that are robust and reliable.

  • Extension functions:

Kotlin’s extension functions make it easy to add new functions to existing classes. This feature is especially useful when developing libraries that need to extend the functionality of existing Android classes.

  • Higher-order functions:

Kotlin’s support for higher-order functions makes it easy to manipulate functions as data. This feature is particularly useful when developing libraries that require functional programming principles.

  • Coroutines:

Kotlin’s coroutines provide a way to write asynchronous code in a sequential manner, which makes it easier to write libraries that are easy to read and understand. Coroutines also make it easier to handle complex concurrency scenarios.

  • Developer Community

Kotlin has a growing and supportive developer community that provides a wealth of resources and support for developers who are developing Android libraries. This community provides access to libraries, tools, and resources that can help developers build high-quality Android libraries.

  • Easy integration with Android Studio:

Kotlin is fully supported by Android Studio, which means that developers can easily integrate Kotlin code into Android projects. This integration makes it easier to develop and maintain Android libraries in Kotlin.

  • Functional programming

Kotlin is a functional programming language, which means that it supports functional programming principles like immutability and higher-order functions. This feature makes Kotlin an excellent choice for developing Android libraries that require functional programming principles.

In conclusion

Kotlin is an excellent choice for developing Android libraries, providing developers with several advantages over other programming languages. Kotlin’s interoperability with Java, concise syntax, null-safety, extension functions, higher-order functions, coroutines, developer community, easy integration with Android Studio, and support for functional programming principles make it an ideal language for developing Android libraries. If you are developing Android libraries, consider using Kotlin to take advantage of these benefits.