Kotlin Vs. Java (2024): Which Is Better For Android Development ?

Kotlin Vs. Java (2021): Which Is Better For Android Development ?

The advancement in Android App Development has sparked debate between 2 of the most widely popular programming languages, i.e., Java and Kotlin. While some of Java's strengths outweigh Kotlin and vice versa, there has been a massive scale shift of business to Kotlin for the advanced features that it provides. Let us dive further to understand the popularity and future of Kotlin in the market.

Introduction

Over the years, android app developments has become a popular way of growing your business. Still, the programming language you choose is the most critical component in determining whether it will be successful. Because of its wide popularity and availability, Java is considered the best solution for a more considerable number of users. However, the advent of Kotlin into the market eroded developers' enthusiasm for Java. Both the programming languages have their advantages and disadvantages, and we shall delve further into the popularity of Kotlin and Java to know the suitable programming language for Android development.

What is Java?

When it comes to programming, Java is a popular choice since it's object-oriented, class-centric, and has as few operational dependencies as possible. It is perhaps the highest-level programming language supporting the construction of a wide range of software applications, modern programming languages, and operating systems and its features that make it have the best performance. For further compilation, Kotlin is divided into Java byte code, which has piqued the interest of many android mobile application development companies.

Java is a well-known programming language created 24 years ago, which James Gosling established in 1995. The most popular programming language nowadays is Java, which has a high market share. In reality, according to many developers and android app development companies, Java has the best usability record; thus, most business owners prefer to hire Java developers to create custom solutions for their companies.

What is Kotlin?

With Kotlin, you get a statically typed general-purpose programming language with functional additions that allows you to use it in conjunction with Java. The Kotlin project arose from the desire for increased productivity whilst increasing the coding experience practically and efficiently.

According to JetBrains' announcement, the next Kotlin version will be available on February 16th, 2016. Kotlin's primary goal is to make mixed-language projects feasible. Improved syntax and also concise abstractions and expressions have been introduced in Kotlin. Despite Java's distinctive reputation, there was a demand for a more sophisticated and modern programming language which led to the advent of Kotlin. This is particularly true now that Kotlin has been proclaimed the official language for Android apps.

More business executives are shifting to Kotlin over the years, such as Pinterest, Twitter, Air BnB, Trello, Netflix, Uber, and Evernote, are all converting their Android applications to Kotlin. While cross-platform Kotlin programming hasn't taken off as it should, prominent industry companies notice the language's many advantages.

Java' edge over Kotlin

  • While Java supports checked exceptions, Kotlin does not detect tiny package impacts at the end that necessitate exception definitions; both of these features could improve developer efficiency and code satisfaction. Without them, performance was found to be much lower, with no discernible improvements in the quality of the code.
  • There are numerous beneficial cases in Java where the colors of objects change depending on the representations because such fields reveal the factor's depiction to callers. Thus, Kotlin does not have non-personal fields.
  • When you're a Top Android developer, you would realize that Kotlin doesn't have a static keyboard, and if you would like to write Android apps in Java, you'll need to utilize static keywords.
  • Ternary Operator support is available in Java, which aids in the reduction of code length. However, Kotlin does not have this flexibility. You will have specific difficulties during development without using static methods and the ternary operator.
  • Primitive Types are the foundation for all Kotlin arrangements. As a result, Primitive Types are incredibly efficient in terms of both processing time and memory usage.

Kotlin's edge over Java

  • Having access to a component of a null reference can ultimately result in a null reference exception, which is among the most frequent issues in many programming languages like Java.
  • The Java equivalent of a null pointer special exemption, a brief courtroom landing time machine is designed to eliminate the null pointer exception.
  • The Kotlin library provides standard training, interfaces, and functions for creating, populating, and managing any sort of collection. Kotlin is where you'll find the accumulating interfaces and related functionality. The widely popular Kotlin library's collections bundle shall include implementations for basic collection types such as sets, lists, and maps.

Making the Switch from Java to Kotlin

When deciding whether Kotlin is the ideal language for your mobile app, you need to consider 2 factors primarily. To begin, confirm with your product team as to whether they are ready for the significant transition. There is a learning experience involved in learning a language, rewriting, and optimizing your work. Your android mobile application development company team must be prepared to adjust to any challenges that arise during the learning process. It's also crucial to consider how the transfer will affect your current architecture. The deletion, creation, and merging of specific classes and artifacts happen every time with the change in the programming languages. As a consequence, the architecture of your product may be affected. It's vital to make sure that mobile architecture is expandable and capable of handling product evolution.

The future of Kotlin

Kotlin has been setting a new bar for what a programming language should be capable of in the modern, technologically advanced world. Kotlin is undoubtedly the future of android mobile application development. For both startups and corporations, it is a trustworthy, adaptable, and secure language. It not only eliminates errors but also prevents crashes during runtime, making debugging more trustworthy. Around 1.5 million developers have written Kotlin code ever since the start of 2018, and that figure has nearly doubled midway through 2019. With major Android App Development company India and worldwide adopting Kotlin, backing from JetBrains and Google, and almost universal connection to the programming language, it's fair to presume Kotlin will be here for a long time. Kotlin is swiftly establishing itself as a superior computer programming language for mobile app development, giving mobile application developers various opportunities to explore cutting-edge programming.

Why choose AIS Technolabs for Android development?

AIS is a leading Android App Development Company India with a reputation for excellence. We have a trained team of professionals and expert developers who can customize Android App Development Services to keep you ahead of the competition. We provide a variety of original and one-of-a-kind Android application development services that assist businesses in enhancing their business model and gaining a large consumer base. Our developers keep up with the latest cutting-edge technology, market trends, and abilities regularly.

Conclusion

While Android app development has become a systematic tendency to increase your business, the choice of your programming language is the essential factor in determining its success ratio. Instead of focusing and restricting themselves to a Java or Kotlin agency, companies should choose an android app development company with knowledge and expertise in both Java and Kotlin development. The competition between the Java and Kotlin programming languages is strict. While both have certain unique features to provide, it can be said that Kotlin has the upper hand over Java and has started to take over Java in 2021.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sunny Chawla
Sunny Chawla
Sunny Chawla is a CEO at AIS Technolabs which is a Web/App Design and Development Company, helping global businesses to grow. He is having expertise in Digital Marketing, Game Development & Product Development.