When it comes to app development in the USA and beyond, the clear choice has been Java. Oracle does this professionally and provided the solutions app developers crave so badly. This was going on for a while until Kotlin surfaced.
Google, at their keynote at I/O 2017, unveiled a new framework to rival Java. The CEO of Google mentioned that they did not just develop Kotlin to serve as a mere rival, rather, they wanted to create something truly revolutionary.
According to him, Kotlin was in the works and testing stage for about5 years. They stressed that allowing Kotlin to compete with the very established Java would enhance innovation, productivity, and competence, rather than kill it.
Java needs no introduction. Let’s go through a brief introduction and talk more about Kotlin.
About Kotlin
They are a new supported language for app development in the USA and beyond. It was designed by JetBrains as both an object-oriented (OO) and functional program (FP) language. This allows developers to incorporate elements from the two forms.
It also makes use of functional features to support intelligibility and interoperability. It’s important to know that Kotlin runs on Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and JavaScript.
Java vs Kotlin for Android App Development
As a programmer, you need to learn and understand both Java and Kotlin. After all, both of them work just fine and from the look of it, they’re both here to stay. Why would you want to deny yourself the ability that comes from these two amazing platforms?
With the rise of Kotlin, there’s a need to choose between both frameworks. If you want to hire Java developers, it‘s possible to see some who also employ Kotlin for Android app development. If you don’t know what to look out for, you might find it difficult to make a choice when you want to undertake your next project.
There are mixed opinions from developers on which is the better programming language between these two and a lot of experts have been coming up with reasons why one is superior to the other. Some believe they are on par, others believe Java is slightly better, while the rest think Kotlin holds a marginal advantage.
In a bid to carry out an unbiased comparison, we have assessed some of the basic features expected of Android app development. They are detailed below.
Simplicity
Oftentimes, we take simplicity for granted. A lot of people take pride in making things difficult for people. This is not ideal, especially when you want to hire Java developers. This is to ensure that the project is easy to understand and follow, even for novices. The rationale behind any project should always be simplicity and comprehensibility.
Java ticks the box in this aspect. Some new programmers find it very hard to understand and use the Kotlin language. In fact, it has been said that Kotlin is sophisticated and mainly for the gurus or ninjas. The problem with this is that new entrants would have a lot of problems understanding the concept. Also, remember that it’s quite new, so they’ve not had enough time with it.
Which is a More Established Platform
It’s very obvious that Kotlin has a huge potential for growth and success in the coming years, especially when you consider the growth Google has enjoyed in recent years. When we compare the parent companies, Oracle and Google, we have reason to believe that Kotlin will be around for a very long time.
Right now, you might want to hire Java developers because it appears to be a stronger platform. Dealing on a platform like this gives you peace of mind that you’re in the right hands. It will also assure you of the tested and trusted features you see on other similar projects.
Flexibility
The Java platform offers flexibility that Kotlin can’t offer just yet. For instance, writing your Java code on the Java platform doesn’t mean it’s restricted to only that platform. You can convert your program on Java such that it can be read on other frameworks. Whereas, with the Kotlin platform, this feature is not available.
Better Prospects
One of the reasons a lot of programmers make use of Kotlin is the fact that it has been said to be more sophisticated than Java.
For a new platform coming into a market, it’s expected that they should have thoroughly studied their competitors and try to know where and how to improve on the current standards available. It’s believed this is what has influenced the level of sophistication Kotlin has come up with.
It should be noted though that for a platform as behemoth as Java, a lot of resources would surely have gone into research and development right now, and when the results of these efforts come out, it might attempt to match or even usurp Kotlin. But for now, Kotlin wins this aspect.
More Professional Support
The Java platform offers more professional support to developers. Since we know that Kotlin is still in its early adoption stage, the community isn’t expected to be so supportive yet. Unlike Java, if you wish to be a Kotlin developer, there might not be enough helpful materials out there for what you might need.
Conclusion
As you have seen, it’s not entirely easy to assess two incredible frameworks for development. Neither is it possible to predict which will be around in the years to come. As expected both have their advantages and their weaknesses. One thing to do is keep up to date on both frameworks, and as time goes on, you can diversify accordingly.
