Java Vs Kotlin Which One is Better for Android App Development

25 Feb Java Vs Kotlin Which One is Better for Android App Development

When we think about Mobile App Development in Android, immediately Java is come first in our mind. Many Android Apps are written in Java, but modern Mobile App Development does not just depend upon Java. Currently, you may find various frameworks and platforms for Android App Development.

Nowadays, Kotlin has become the choice of Many Android App Developers. So, Java is outraced as a platform of Android App Development? First, we discuss both platforms and then we will compare Java Vs Kotlin.

Java:

Java is one of the Object-oriented Programming Language, which is developed by Sun Microsystems. Being such an old language, Java has contributed a lot to develop Android Apps. If we discussed especially Android App Development than let’s see the pros and cons of Java.

Pros of Java:

– Easy to Understand and Learn.

– Works well for both Native and Cross-Platform Apps.

– Since Android itself is built on Java, there are plenty of Java libraries added. Also, Java has a wide open-source ecosystem.

– Java Apps are lighter and more compact, even when compared to Kotlin Apps, Resulting in a faster app experience.

– Java yields a faster build process too, letting your code more in less time.

– It has Accelerated assembly with Gradle, assembling becomes easier in Java.

Cons of Java:

– Java is a type-heavy language, which means you write a lot more code, increasing the chances of errors and bugs.

– Java experiences some problems with Android API design due to inherent limitations.

– It requires more memory compared to other languages and hence tends to be slower.

Kotlin:

Kotlin arrived when Android Development needed a more modern language to add to the qualities of Java and enhance development environment. It created by JetBrains, also it is an open-source, statically typed language based on Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Kotlin has an advantage that when you can compile it to JavaScript and interoperate it with Java. This thing will allow developers to not only easily update old Java Apps to Kotlin but also carry on their old work in Java to Kotlin.

Pros of Kotlin:

– Kotlin is definitely faster to write and thus, much preferable by developers. As an example, if it takes 50 lines of code in Java, it only takes 1-2 lines in Kotlin. Also, that means there are much fewer errors and bugs.

– Kotlin used in the building of clean APIs

– With the help of Java bytecode, you can use Java libraries and frameworks in Kotlin, so the transition from Java to Kotlin can be done seamlessly.

– Kotlin has needed null in its type of system that was missing in Java. Android uses null to notify the absence of a value and Kotlin allows you to use, greatly easing that pain point.

– The Anko Library available for Kotlin is of great help for developers and there is a very active and wide collection of projects on Github.

Cons of Kotlin:

– Kotlin shows a steep learning curve. It has highly concise syntax. While great advantage is that you can uplift your developing skills with Kotlin.

– If we compare Java Vs Kotlin than compilation speed of Kotlin is slower than Java to some extent. However, Kotlin beat java in a few instances.

– The Kotlin community is still young and it has limited learning resources. So, sometimes it is difficult to find an error solution. However, with growing popularity, the resources and community will expand in time.

– Kotlin is still new, so it is difficult to find experienced developers who can act as mentors for your team. Everyone out there is just learning and experiencing it.

– Some features of Android Studio like auto-complete and compilation tend to run slower in Kotlin than Java.

Java Vs Kotlin: Who will win the Final Battle?

Kotlin is slowly but gradually getting popularity among Android Developers. Moreover, Kotlin is ready to become a new official language and owing to its modern nature. It will widely adopt in the future. So, learning Kotlin and starting development with it right now would be a good idea. On the other side, Java will continue to be a popular language for a long time and is not likely to be entirely replaced. So, take your time and switch over to Kotlin gently.

Final Thoughts,

In the end, Java vs Kotlin who is better? So, I can say that it is all about what you feel comfortable. Being a true blood Androidian, you will need to work with Java. But if you already do have that, Kotlin is the language of the future, so you might spend some time to learn advanced techniques.