Useful Kotlin Features To Improve Your Android App Development

If you are into mobile app development, you must have heard about or even worked with Kotlin. Since its inception in 2016, the programming language has become the heart of the Android operating system and so, for every Android developer.

The popularity of Kotlin has risen to the level that it has even surpassed Java, the language that once ruled the realms of Android app development. Though Java is not going anywhere, it has taken a backseat.

Note: Android application development without learning Java is not possible.

Kotlin has taken the lead and is doing preferably good, building faster Android applications and improvising the quality.

Megacorps such as Uber, Netflix, AWS, Pinterest and Coursera have already incorporated Kotlin into their projects. But why is Kotlin rising in popularity? Is it really better than Java? What makes Kotlin so unique to the point that it has eclipsed other big players??

Let’s get an overview!

An Overview - What is Kotlin?

Kotlin is a programming language that was developed by Jetbrains (the organization behind one of the most popular Java IDEs, IntelliJ IDEA) to develop native Android applications.?

Similar to Java, Kotlin is a general-purpose language that can be used side-by-side with Java, complies with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) bytecode and doesn’t come with a performance overhead.

The language is modern, pragmatic and intuitive and is known to build stunning Android applications that run on multiple devices and interfaces.

Since its official launch in 2017, the Kotlin programming language has seen a historical rise in demand from both app developers and enterprises.

Next, here are some of the useful Kotlin features that can help mobile developers improve their Android App Development.

Useful Kotlin Features

Now that Kotlin is an official language to write Android apps, let's get acquainted with some of the most useful Kotlin features that make it a perfect language for Android development.

Kotlin is open-source

Kotlin is an open-source programming language. So a developer can leverage the advantage of high-quality app development every time and is even backed by support from the Kotlin Slack team.

It also provides a single-click tool through which a developer can convert existing Java code. If you are new to the language, you can start easy with the beginner course available on Udemy and Udacity.?

Kotlin Supports Full Java Interoperability

Kotlin’s intense interoperability with Java is one of its attractive features. It basically runs on JVM and even supports Java libraries, tools, offering 360-degree Java interoperability

Both Java and Kotlin co-exist i.e. their bytecodes are the same - This makes it easier for app developers to be efficient. They can assemble a single android project in both languages with the help of Java interoperability easily. This saves time by just having to switch the language and not code.

Lazy loading

Loading speed is one of the key factors that decide the fate of your app. Slow loading can be a bummer but no worries - The lazy-loading feature by Kotlin will take care of this.

This feature basically reduces the app startup time so that the app is loaded faster, which is very useful when using it for app development.

In layman terms, it loads the main content faster while loading other less-necessary elements/content down the page. It is the best solution for the developers to reduce their Android app startup time and show the apps’ content faster.?

Safe and reliable

The language is relatively safe and you can use it without any second thoughts. For example, avoiding mistakes such as ‘NullPointException’ is possible with the Null Safe function.

Also, it’s your choice to make use of nullable types and automatically remove mistakes. This will simplify your code for operations and debugging of Android app development.

Furthermore, features like the Kotlin Android Extensions, continuous library size optimizations, libraries like Anko and build times reflect the commitment of JetBrains towards making Kotlin a reliable programming language for mobile app development.?

Greater IDE and tooling support

Kotlin is fully backed and supported by its parent company JetBrains which specializes in developing the best IDEs in the world.

If you need Kotlin support from the community, all you need to do is install a plugin for that. The language supports almost every IDE feature of Android Studio. Even if you mix and match Kotlin and Java features & code, it will not affect the app.?

Another thing that is appreciated about Kotlin is its ability to ‘Convert Java files to Kotlin’. Just give Kotlin your old java file and it will convert it into an equivalent Kotlin file in just one click.

Low cost

Low cost, high quality - who wouldn’t love that! Since Kotlin is open-source, you would have to invest no or low cost of adoption for its license. Additionally, it is only easy and quick to learn when compared to other programming languages.

Final Thoughts

Appventurez has been using Kotlin since 2017 and we simply love it. It is surely making the android development process a lot easier and smoother. We believe that these features will be helpful enough to give you a headstart in your journey of Kotlin android app development.

Open the Android Studio, download the Kotlin plugin and give it a go yourself.

If you have any doubts/queries regarding Kotlin or have an Android app development project, get in touch with us right away.?

We are a leading mobile app development company with years of experience in developing bespoke products & platforms, supported by advanced frameworks.