Kotlin vs Java - Which One Should You Choose?

The world of programming languages and frameworks is always evolving, and while it may seem like Kotlin was just recently introduced to the scene, it’s already taken developers by storm, with many ditching their old Java frameworks in favor of Kotlin. The good news is that Java isn’t going anywhere soon - it’s still the second most popular programming language in the world, with more than 9 million developers using it regularly. However, given how similar the two frameworks are, you might be wondering which one you should choose. Let’s compare these two languages in this blog:

Kotlin vs Java: Introduction:

Kotlin

Kotlin is a statically typed, object-oriented programming language that compiles to Java bytecode. It has many features similar to those found in OOP languages like Java and C++, but it also contains unique ones such as higher-order functions. The language was developed by JetBrains, a software development company from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Kotlin is an open-source project and thus free to use under Apache 2 license. Nowadays Kotlin has grown quickly in popularity because of its power and simplicity; if you want to know more about the Kotlin programming language then continue reading

Java

Java is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. The programming language allows users to build applications and programs. Java has been called platform independent because of its portability. Java code can run on any platform that supports Java virtual machines, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Unix, along with a few other operating systems (Solaris and FreeBSD). One of Java’s best features is its ability to be used for internet-related software development. Web browsers support java scripts that are executed through a java virtual machine for web pages to have interactivity such as animation or sound effects.

Kotlin vs Java: Uses:

Kotlin

Kotlin was designed to address many of Java’s shortcomings. Kotlin features a cleaner syntax than Java, allows for better modularity through inline functions, and provides developers with an increased ability to write concise code. The current version of Kotlin also runs on Android. Perhaps most importantly, however, Kotlin is an open-source language that’s 100% free! That means Android developers can use Kotlin without having to pay any licensing fees or deal with any legal hassles. Given all these benefits, we highly recommend that you consider using Kotlin in your next Android app project. Even if you have no experience with Android development whatsoever—we assure you that learning Kotlin will be worth your time!

Java

Java is a multi-purpose programming language and platform. It can be used in many different ways, but it is primarily used for building apps (i.e., software applications) that can run on many kinds of devices, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and various other electronic gadgets and appliances. In recent years Java has also been used for server-side programming.

Essentially, Java has become an industry standard for application development since it not only works well on all sorts of devices but because its very robustness makes it highly portable (meaning programs built-in Java are easy to transfer across computing platforms). Also, Java code tends to be shorter than code written in some other languages. Shortening code length makes creating programs quicker while reducing the chances of bugs or errors during execution.

Kotlin vs Java: Scalability

Kotlin

Kotlin is scalable across all devices and architectures. Whether you’re developing Android apps or writing back-end services, Kotlin allows developers to write readable code while maintaining a high degree of efficiency. Kotlin is easy to learn and has a concise syntax, so developers can spend more time working on their applications rather than their code.

Java

Java is scalable, though it does have a few limitations. Java apps will run on all sorts of devices, from mainframes and desktop computers to handheld devices and servers. The Java language isn't as portable as its app platform—Java programs must be compiled into an intermediate code called Java bytecode that most devices can understand. However, software developers can use a toolkit called Java Native Interface (JNI) to write native code that interfaces with Java bytecode. So even if you don't know C++ or Objective-C—which are typically used for mobile development—you can still create mobile apps for Android or iOS in Java.

Kotlin vs Java: Secure

Kotlin

The Kotlin programming language is, above all else, secure. As a statically typed language, Kotlin won’t allow code to compile that would cause runtime errors or compromise your system’s security. So in a sense, Kotlin will provide you with an extra layer of defense from potential cyberthreats. In addition to preventing runtime errors, Kotlin also prevents null pointer exceptions. Null pointer exceptions are commonly referred to as NPEs and happen when you try to access properties or call methods on objects that don’t have those properties or contain those methods. A compiler error will stop you before any NPE can occur which ensures your program has fewer bugs and can prevent common issues like crashes due to null pointer dereferencing.

Java

Java is a secure language, as it can prevent unauthorized access by restricting what an application can do. Java does so by using security-restricted classes that run with limited permissions and are sandboxed, i.e., run in a protected area of memory. Security restrictions cannot be altered or overridden by programmers but can be removed via configuration settings (in which case more advanced attacks become possible). A Java program has only read access to network resources and is not able to write files from its current directory unless it has specifically been granted permission.

Kotlin vs Java: Performance

Kotlin

The Kotlin programming language is a statically typed programming language developed by JetBrains in 2011. It's an open-source, multi-platform, general-purpose programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Kotlin is designed to be a very interoperable language and can also be compiled to JavaScript source code or use the LLVM compiler infrastructure. Like Swift and Rust, Kotlin is intended to address many of the issues developers encounter with current popular languages like C++ or Java. Read on to find out how it can help you make the transition from Java development.

Java

Java is a high-level programming language developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems in the 1990s. It has since grown into one of the most popular programming languages in the world, used for everything from mobile applications and websites to enterprise software systems and operating systems. Performance: Java has been criticized for its performance, and some claim that a native compiled language will always outperform an interpreted language like Java. However, benchmarks show that Java is often as fast or faster than competing languages like C++, Python, or Ruby.

What Are The Similarities Between Both Languages?

Before we start talking about what makes Kotlin and Java different from each other, let's talk about what they have in common. Both Kotlin and Java are object-oriented languages. They share many of their structures, functions, and semantics in common. Kotlin is syntactically similar to Java, which helps developers make a seamless transition from one language to another. Both languages have things like classes with static members, objects that can be extended via inheritance, interfaces with abstract methods (and these can be implemented by classes), and so on.

Conclusion & Recommendation

Nowadays, you’ll have a hard time finding a programmer that hasn’t heard about Kotlin. Both Kotlin and Java were indeed designed to do one thing, which is solving problems. However, it doesn’t mean they are always performing at their maximum capacity when it comes to solving your problems. The most important thing is to understand what your needs are and find an approach that will satisfy 100%. If you need new features in your software or want to make some improvements in how everything works, it might be worth considering choosing a more flexible language like Kotlin or Swift. You can choose a Java development company if you want to have a feature-packed web or mobile application.

Source: https://www.coreswipeglobal.com/mobile-app-development-company

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