Kotlin
Kotlin is a statically typed programming language that runs on the Java virtual machine and can also be compiled to JavaScript. It is designed to interoperate fully with Java code and has many improvements over Java like null safety, functional programming support, and more conci
statically-typed
jvm
java-interoperability
null-safety
functional-programming
Kotlin: A Statically Typed Language for Java Virtual Machine
A statically typed programming language that runs on the Java virtual machine and can also be compiled to JavaScript, offering null safety, functional programming support, and more concise syntax.
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is a statically typed programming language that runs on the Java virtual machine and can also be compiled to JavaScript. It is designed by JetBrains to be a better alternative to Java for modern application development.
Some key features and advantages of Kotlin include:
- Null safety - Variables in Kotlin can't be null by default which avoids nasty null pointer exceptions. This keeps code safer.
- Functional programming support - Kotlin has out of the box support for functional constructs like higher order functions, lambda expressions, operator overloading etc.
- Concise and readable syntax - Kotlin gets rid of a lot of boilerplate code like semicolons and parentheses making the code more readable.
- Easy Interoperability with Java - Kotlin is designed to seamlessly interoperate with existing Java code. You can have Kotlin and Java code side by side in the same project.
- Open source - Kotlin is open source under the Apache 2 License
Some of the major applications using Kotlin include Android development, backend web development, desktop applications etc. It can also be used for scripting. The language is being adopted rapidly by companies due to the benefits it offers over languages like Java and C++.
Kotlin Features
Features
- Statically typed language
- Runs on JVM
- Can be compiled to JavaScript
- Full interoperability with Java code
- Null safety
- Functional programming support
- More concise syntax than Java
Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
Pros
Null safety avoids null pointer exceptions
Functional programming enables cleaner code
Interoperability with Java allows reuse of existing libraries
More concise syntax improves readability
Cons
Smaller ecosystem than Java
Not as widely adopted as Java yet
Some Java features not available in Kotlin
Official Links
The Best Kotlin Alternatives
Top Development and Programming Languages and other similar apps like Kotlin
Here are some alternatives to Kotlin:
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