Introduction

The ever-growing trend in mobile app development has driven you to Cost of building an App. That’s great! But even so, you’re submerged in the colossal terrestrial mix-up: which is the better option for an android app developer. Should you choose Java or Kotlin? Let’s find out what’s best for you.

Despite the robust standing of the Java programming language, Android introduced a modern language, Kotlin. Not to mention both are phenomenal programming languages. This makes a tough spot for any who wants to choose between them.

This blog will present the upside and the downside of each Android programming language and its best features that can help you make great Android apps easily.

Let’s GO!

Story of Java

Java is an OOP-based language developed and introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1995. Sun Microsystems is owned by Oracle – a multinational computer technology corporation. Java is an open-source programming language – meaning the code is publicly accessible. Besides, Java is a robust language used worldwide by top developers. On top of that, if one has a high command over Java programming language, one has a considerable amount of job opportunities. Not to mention Java app development has a high demand in software development companies. Besides, Java is the third most prevalent programming language on GitHub. 

Key Features of Java:

• Works fine on both platforms: Native and Cross-platform.
• Easy to learn and implement.
• Plenty of java libraries to helps you build anything.
• It’s an open-source programming language.
• Android itself is built on Java.
• It ensures a faster build process, allowing you to save time for speedier development.
• No matter the size of the project, Java addresses all smoothly.

So, What Are the Cons of Java?

We’re not going to discuss only the benefits of Java but also its cons that you must consider before choosing it.

• Java is a cumbersome language. It sure gets things done exceptionally, but you have to write a lot of code to achieve a simple task. With more lines of code, there is a high chance of bugs and errors to show up.
• Due to inherent limitations, Java may face issues with Android API design.
• Its increased memory tends to make Java slower.

Story of Kotlin

Kotlin is a modern language developed by JetBrains. It’s also an open-source programming language – anyone can view and modify the code. Kotlin runs on JVM – Java Virtual Machine. On the flip side, many consider Kotlin as the improved version of Java itself. What’s even more exciting about Kotlin is that its code can be compiled into JavaScript and run on browsers. Today, numerous companies use Kotlin to develop Android apps. Kotlin app development is comparatively easier than Java.

Key Feature of Kotlin:

• Kotlin is much faster than Java and loved by many app developers.
• As 50 lines of code in Java, it only takes 2-3 lines of code in Kotlin. Hence much fewer errors and bugs.
• It helps in building clean APIs quickly.
• Moreover, you can use Java libraries and frameworks in Kotlin.
• Most Java drawbacks are covered in the Kotlin programming language, such as needed null. Java doesn’t allow you to use null values. On the other hand, Kotlin eases that pain point. You can use many null values in Kotlin.
• A vast collection of projects is available in GitHub, which helps new developers to learn Kotlin easily.

Drawbacks of Kotlin:

• It may have a concise syntax but comes with a steep learning curve.
• Kotlin has a slower compilation speed than Java in most cases.
• Kotlin is behind Java in most cases.
• While its community is still new and not so vast like Java, having limited resources for a learner.
• Finding experienced developers in the Kotlin programming language can be difficult, considering it’s a new language.
• Some features of Android Studio tend to run slower in Kotlin as compared to Java.

Why Choose Java?

In this blog part, we’ll discuss some important features that Java has and Kotlin does not.

Here are some features that Java has and Kotlin does not:

Checked exceptions

While checked exceptions help a developer to build robust code, in other words, it highlights potential errors in the code. Not to mention it’s one of the coveted features Java has and Kotlin does not. So this feature significantly helps app developers in Java app development.

Primitive types

Java consists of Primitive types that are not classes. That includes Char, double, float, etc., which contains a genuine type of values. In Java, they are primitive types that aren’t object instantiated struct. While in Kotlin, variables of a primitive type are objects.

Static members

In Java, you can create an instance of the static member and share that across all class instances. On the flip side, Kotlin fails to do that. Likewise, keyword static shows the specific member with which the keyword used belonged to a type now instead of an instance.

Ternary-operator

Ternary-operator is a mechanism allowing you to use an if and else statement quickly and briefly. Like ‘a? b:c’, where a is a condition, b is the if method and c is the else method. Java supports ternary operators while Kotlin does not.

Here Are Other Features That Only Java Has:

• Implicit Widening Conversions
• Non-private Fields
• Wildcard Types

Why Choose Kotlin?

Here are some features that only Kotlin has and Java does not:

Lambda expressions

Kotlin has lambda expression and higher-order functions. And also, it offers first-rate functions you can store in data structures and variables. Therefore, many functions get operated in all possible ways for other non-function values. 

Smart Casts

Kotlin enables its developers to effortlessly handle redundant casts without checking the type or cast inside a statement, unlike Java. Therefore, smart casts come in handy while for developers in Kotlin app development. 

Null-Safety

Here Kotlin fills the gap of NullPointerExceptions. In contrast, many developers in Java faced this issue at every point while coding fast. Android has indeed improved many loopholes that were lacing in Java.

Here Are Other Features That Only Kotlin Has:

• Coroutines
• Extensive Functions
• Inline Functions
• Native Support for Delegation

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, the trend in Android app development continues to grow even more. Hopefully, this blog will assist you in figuring out which platform to choose and hire kotlin developer. Besides, either you select Kotlin or Java, both have the capabilities to help you build state-of-the-art apps.

Still not sure which to choose, get support from the App Developers Florida today. And bring your app idea into reality.