What is Kotlin? : A Complete Guide For Beginners [ OverView ]

• In this article you will learn:
• 1.Why Do Learn a Kotlin Language?
• 2.What Is Kotlin?
• 3.History of Kotlin.
• 4.Features of Kotlin.
• 5.Uses of Kotlin.
• 6.Companies Using the Kotlin Language.
• 7.Conclusion.

Why Do You Learn a Kotlin Language?

Kotlin is the one of fastest-growing and widely used programming languages. Kotlin brings together best object-oriented and functional programming features. Software developers across a globe prefer the Kotlin language for different projects.It is a more easy and friendly language as well. It is simple easy to maintain and debug this language, so it is good language to start with.Google announced a Kotlin language as an official language for developing an android applications in May 2017. After announcement, the jobs for Kotlin increased in a large numbers; since then, job opportunities for a Kotlin have doubled every three months as per Dice.The demand for Kotlin is on rise. Google, Netflix, Pinterest are some of companies using a Kotlin.

What Is Kotlin?

• Kotlin is the general-purpose, statically typed programming language developed by a Jet Brains. It has both features of object-oriented programming and functional programming.
• Kotlin is an interoperable with the Java which means both languages can share and use the information. Like a java compiler, the Kotlin compiler also generates a byte code, which can run on a JVM.
• Kotlin is widely used to develop a server-side applications, android applications, multiplatform mobile development, and much more.
• It is kind of Java with the some added features; even the java libraries can also be used in a Kotlin project.
• Although Java is the really cool language, the developers of a Kotlin focused more on simplifying a code and increasing transparency.

History of Kotlin:

• The development of a Kotlin language was announced in year 2011.
• Then in year 2012, Kotlin’s first a web demo was released along with the new logo and became an open-source language.
• In a 2014, Kotlinlang.org was released along with a some features to increase an interoperability with Java and in a 2015, it added a some new features like companion objects, multiple constructors, etc.
• In 2016, Kotlin 1.0 version was released, which was developed by a Jet Brains in Russia. The reason for developing a Kotlin language was the developers of Jet Brains were fed up with a repetitive code, so they wanted a much more a modern language, but the problem was most of their codes was already written in a Java, and switching to the some other language would create a bigger headache for them. So the team decided to create language that is compatible with the Java and with all features they wanted.
• In 2017, Google announced a first-class support for Kotlin on Android. Later a Kotlin 1.2 was released with features like sharing the code between JVM and JavaScript, after which it released a various versions like a Kotlin 1.3 in 2018.

Features of Kotlin:

There are the numerous features of a Kotlin language, some of them are as follows:

• Kotlin language can be used on a multiple platforms, which reduces a time spent on writing and maintaining the code on various platforms. It doesn’t depend on a virtual machine on a target platform.
• Kotlin has a some modern features like null safety, which is feature to reduce problems associated with a null references. Features like the Lambda function (anonymous function) and a Smart casts (used for the tacking conditions inside if expression) are supported by a Kotlin.
• In a Kotlin language, there are more extensions that allow adding functionality without inheriting from a class using no decorative pattern. This feature makes a code simple to maintain and read.
• In Kotlin, functions can be passed as a parameters to the function, which means a function can act as a variable, and just like the variable, it can also be passed. It is also known as higher-order function. Its functionality does a two things: first, take functions as a parameters, and second, return a function.
• Kotlin is a compatible with Java, it is fully interoperable with the Java, and can convert a Java file to the Kotlin file with just script. Also, it works on a JVM, and java libraries work fine on a Kotlin.
• Kotlin has data class. A data class is the class that does not perform any operation and only contains state. The advantage of this class is that it provides a self-generated code and avoids an implementation of a methods within the class.

Uses of Kotlin:

Web development: Kotlin is used for the Web Development purposes; it is compatible with a Java and much easier than Java. Also, Kotlin works fine with the spring and some other frameworks, which makes it an simple replacement for a Java when it comes to a web development.

Data Science: Kotlin is also used in a Data Science because of its features like null safety, statically typed, maintainable code, and is a language that runs on a JVM, making Kotlin a good choice for the working with data.

Android development: Kotlin is used for the Android Development purposes. After a Google announced Kotlin as a first-class language, the users’ interest in a Kotlin language elevated to a great extent, which created large community of an android developers going for Kotlin. The language allows for developers to write more expressive and concise code and its interoperability with Java is one of main attractions to choose this language. With a Google’s statement, the android developers and app development companies are started opting for Kotlin language.

Companies Using a Kotlin Language:

• Airbnb, an American company that operates the online marketplace for a lodging and homestays to vacation rentals, also uses a Kotlin language for android framework (MvRx) for the seamless experience.
• Google widely uses a Kotlin language; not only have they declared it as a first-class programming, but they also use it in production code. Google also implemented Kotlin in a more than 60 applications like Google Homes, Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Pay, Google Sheets, etc.
• Zomato, India’s largest food delivery company also uses a Kotlin for an android app, which has helped them reduce a code lines and made the code a lot more concise.
• The world’s leading streaming service are Netflix used a Kotlin language to rebuild their UI player for android app of Netflix.
• Uber, an American mobility company that offers a services like a food delivery, ride-hailing, package delivery, couriers, etc., uses Kotlin language because of its popularity for the android development and its interoperable nature with a Java.
• So these were some of Companies using a Kotin language.

Conclusion:

Kotlin is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that is statically typed and interoperable with the Java Virtual Machine and the Java library Android. Kotlin saves developers time since it is a less verbose language that produces concise and less redundant code. Kotlin is a programming language that may be compiled into JavaScript or the LLVM encoder.Kotlin is seen as a Java substitute in many aspects. Although it does not conform to the grammar, it is compatible with Java code and libraries. Kotlin also has its own libraries, which were created to aid in the early development of its community via APIs for Android apps.