In a world where now and then new programming languages are being emerged, it becomes difficult which one to choose. It is said that, if you are a mobile app developer, then Java must be at the top of the list for building Android apps. But as I said that new languages are emerging which might challenge Java in the Android world. One of them is ‘Kotlin’. Google has announced this new programming language as “first-class” language support on Android. The popularity of Kotlin is increasing rapidly and mostly in the mobile development area. So let us see- Kotlin vs Java which is better? Given below are Java and Kotlin comparison which will help you in deciding which programming language to choose for your next app development project.
Definition Of Kotlin And Java
What is Kotlin?
The programmers of JetBrains designed Kotlin. It was done so to add modern features to the Java mobile development. It is an open-source, statically typed language that is based on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). You can also compile it to JavaScript or native to build code for iOS. But for this, you have to install the Kotlin Plugin and let it configure your project.
What is Java?
Undoubtedly, Java is the favorite programming language of Android app developers. Java was developed by Sun Microsystems, which is now the property of Oracle. Java is an object-oriented programming language that holds the title of the second most active language on GitHub.
Pros and Cons of Kotlin
| Pros | Cons |
| It can also be used in backend development like Spring 5. | The compilation and auto-complete of the Android Studio run very slow compared with the apps developed with pure Java. |
| Kotlin can be directly in your Gradle build scripts. | Slower compilation speed as compared to Java. |
| The developers can build cleaner APIs by including smart extension functions. | The developer community is really small and also the answers to all the queries are not available. |
| Java to Kotlin switching is easy – just install the Kotlin plugin, add it to the Gradle build files, and click 'Convert'. | There are fewer experienced Kotlin developers due to which it is difficult to choose a tutor. |
| Developers can take benefits from a rapidly growing collection of open source projects on GitHub, many books, learning resources, and online courses. | It sometimes generates great amounts of boilerplate in corresponding JVM bytecode. |
| Kotlin provides built-in null safety support which is a lifesaver, especially on Android, which is full of old Java-style APIs. | The learning takes increased time as the language is comparatively new and challenging and also the language has a concise syntax. |
| It's more concise and expressive than Java, which means fewer chances for errors. | |
| You can write new modules in Kotlin which will work alongside the existing Java code. Kotlin is compatible with all Java libraries and frameworks, JVM, and can be integrated with Gradle or Maven building systems. |
Pros and Cons of Java
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to learn and understand. | It works slowly and needs higher memory as compared to the other programming languages. |
| The Android app development process is easier as compared to Kotlin. | It needs more coding which means more errors and bugs. |
| Handling large projects is easy with Accelerated assembly with Gradle. | It has a certain limitation as it is ancient due to which it creates some issues with the Android API design. |
| It is an open-source basically because of the adoption of the JVM for Android. | Example: Android-oss, NewPipe, Wordpress Engineering. |
| Java is mostly preferred when it comes to developing a cross-platform app. | |
| Java can adapt to almost anything whether it be a browser window or it is a virtual machine. This will prove to be a great boon when you are working on a software update or when you want to reuse the code. | |
| Android is dependent on Java because Android SDK contains several standard Java libraries. | |
| The apps developed with java are lighter and work efficiently without any bugs and crash on the user’s device. | |
| Example: Pinterest, Trello. |
Why Kotlin for Android?
The question that hits our mind now is that- is it necessary to switch from Java to Kotlin? If you want to move along with the world, then it is very important to learn new technologies. So, switching from Java to Kotlin is not a big deal. I can say this because Kotlin has been designed to address the issues of Java. By this, we can say that Kotlin provides several out-of-the-box safety mechanisms, and also it is concise as well as expressive than Java. This is the reason that Kotlin is one of the top five languages that is loved by the developers.
Conclusion
We all know that Kotlin has just entered the world of programming languages while Java is an ancient language. By reading the article, we can clearly say that Kotlin is one step ahead in almost all aspects of Java. So, it won’t be wrong to say that Kotlin is highly adapted for android app development. If you are choosing Kotlin then it is not wrong but for this, you have to give time to your developers as it is a new language and there are not a lot more things by which the questions can be solved. So, it is better to give time to your developers to learn and understand Kotlin so that they can work properly. Also, if you are choosing Java, then don’t worry because this ancient language is not going anywhere. It is and will be essential for Android app development. So, both are important. If you're running a team of mobile developers,then it's best to experiment with Kotlin. By this you check whether the new language brings you tangible benefits. You can contact JPLoft Solution Pvt. Ltd. for the best web/ app solutions.
