EN
DE
Whether you’re in university and thinking ahead to your first career role or are simply looking to try something new, then programming may have been something you’ve considered.
With more of our lives being conducted on the internet, and that not set to change any time soon, then it makes sense that the need for high quality, dedicated and talented programmers is not going to be going anywhere either, and is actually set to increase.
You may be aware of some of the basics of programming languages, and although it can be quite overwhelming to keep up with all of them and wonder which ones to focus on, if you’re looking to become an Android developer, then Kotlin is one that’s making some headlines recently as it definitely one to pay attention to.
Just as the name Java was named after an island off the coast of Indonesia, Kotlin was named after Kotlin Island in Russia, near St. Petersburg. Although this may seem like useless trivia, knowing stuff like the name of programming languages and where they come from will be things viewed favourably when applying for jobs as it shows you’ve done your research.
If you’ve never heard of it, then don’t worry, in this post we’re going to give you a full introduction to Kotlin, so that you can decide if this is something you’d like to focus on in your work as a developer. If you're interested in exploring opportunities in this domain, check out our Kotlin developer vacancies and apply today.
Google Prefers It
This is probably one of the most important factors to consider with Kotlin. As we all know, Google basically runs the internet’s most used search engine – and so much of how a website performs and how visible they are really comes down to how much Google approves of them.
Google recently announced that Kotlin is their preferred programming language for Android, which is definitely something to consider when deciding which programming language you’d like to focus on going forward.
It’s A Cross-Platform Language
While both Java and Kotlin are widely recognised and robust programming languages, they do have slight differences in their capability and functionality. With Kotlin, you have something that has the features of both, object-oriented and functional programming, whereas Java only works on object-oriented programming.
Additionally, Kotlin allows those using it to create an extension function, which is something Java programmers aren’t able to do.
It’s Java-Compatible
Although the two are different programming languages, choosing Kotlin over Java won’t leave you limited to only that. In fact, you may find it more beneficial since they work well together, so you can actually be more effective by choosing to use both Kotlin and Java.
It’s Easy To Use
When it comes to getting your head around yet another programming language, you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed at the prospect as they’re not always the easiest to learn and adopt.
However, one of the reasons that Kotlin is growing in popularity is because of how easy to adopt it is. Since it can be used with Java, it’s easy to use and far more flexible and versatile than other programming languages.
Safety Is Priority
The creators of Kotlin have made sure that it’s always updated to ensure the latest safety measures for those choosing to use it as their programming language. This is even more important in today’s world where people need to be extra safe with their websites to avoid hacks, especially when dealing with sensitive and personal data from their customers.
So, there you have it. A simple breakdown of what Kotlin is and how you may be able to use it. Even if you’re set on using Java right now because it’s what you know, implementing Kotlin is definitely worth considering in the future.
Other Kotlin Related Posts
Why Companies are switching to Kotlin development
Kotlin for backend development and how it compares to other languages