Kotlin programming language was introduced in 2010, which makes it a relatively new language on the market. The Kotlin creators are JetBrains – a software development company known for IntelliJ IDEA Java IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Kotlin aims for better efficiency, concision and readability than Java. Kotlin has recently found its place within the ranks of popular programming languages among big players like Netflix, Amazon, Twitter and Google.
What is Kotlin, and why can it be great for the backend?
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Increased productivity
Kotlin programming language can reduce the boilerplate code required to perform tasks, resulting in less clutter in backend solutions. Developers can do asynchronous programming that is easy to maintain. Less code and shorter compile time results in faster execution of the written code and shorter loading times. It also reduces unnecessary vocabulary for reduced verbosity and more concise code.
Kotlin programming language comes with a range of benefits. It might be a challenging prospect to change the language we are used to coding in. However, multiple assets might be worth considering, especially when using Kotlin for backend solutions.
Interoperability
Another asset of Kotlin may appeal to those who coded in Java and would consider a change. Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java because they compile to the same byte code. It means there’s no need to rewrite the same code when transitioning to Kotlin. We can add new features and functions in Kotlin to the existing Java code, and they would still work together in backend development.
Compatibility with Java virtual machine (JVM)
One of the benefits of Kotlin being fully interoperable with Java, it’s also compatible with JVM and Java libraries. It allows helping simplify the Java code. It may make another argument to learn Kotlin if you’re looking for a new language to try and write in.
Kotlin stands apart as a distinct language with notable advantages, particularly in the realm of functional programming. When we started using Kotlin with functional programming techniques, our team got really excited about it! It made it easier to bring in new people who were genuinely interested in what we were doing.
Customer of DAC.digital
Improved stability
Certain features in Kotlin help improve the stability of the code, such as null safety and type inference. These features help prevent runtime errors and make it easier to write bug-free.
Growing community
Due to its increasing popularity, Kotlin has an ever-growing community of developers using this language. In 2017 Google officially announced Kotlin to be the official Android development language. Due to the growing number of Kotlin-fluent experts, sharing code and exchanging ideas and resources, like detailed documentation, is becoming more accessible to support Kotlin devs.
We find it as an elegant, quickly-evolving, type-safe, function & concurrency-focused but still compatible alternative to Java. Having coroutines feature, Arrow-KT library, and their limited complexity it’s easier for us to build performant functional software and to catch most concurrent bugs at compile time.
Paweł Radecki
Backend Developer in DAC.digital
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Use examples of Kotlin programming language.
Kotlin is an object-oriented, statically-typed programming language. Since it’s fully compatible with Java, its usability is significant. What are some examples of Kotlin applications?
Backend solutions
Kotlin is famous mainly for its smooth front-end work in streaming. However, this language can also work in the backend, and we have teams of experts to prove it. Some frameworks of this object-oriented language, like Spring and Javalin, can aid the team works in building a reliable backend Kotlin project. It is evident in Android development. Kotlin also has a relatively low learning curve for experienced Java developers, which can make it easier to adopt in Java-driven environments.
Moreover, Kotlin coroutines help developers write asynchronous, non-blocking code. With coroutines, Developers can pause functions (computation) at some point and resume later. The reduced verbosity of Kotlin can help maintain stability and quick operability. Null safety, concurrency, interoperability, functional programming, and integration with remarkable frameworks make Kotlin good for backend developers.
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Android development
Google announced Kotlin as the official Android language. It opens doors to new opportunities for Android apps. The Android SDK contains nullability annotations to help avoid NullPointerExceptions. Based on IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio includes Kotlin and Java source codes for Android developers. Most Android documentation is written in Java, which may discourage a new Android developer. However, this obstacle can be easily overcome thanks to the interoperability with Java.
Web development
Kotlin can make a full-stack web development solution. It can find its place in the backend as well. We can use it to develop servers, web browsers, or mobile apps (especially for Android devices). Kotlin for server-side development can make a good fit for a Kotlin team developing server-side web applications.
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