Introduction to Kotlin Programming Language

Kotlin is an open source, cross platform, general-purpose high-level programming language with type inference. It is an object-oriented programming language that is interoperable with the Java virtual machine (JVM), Java Class Libraries and Android. Kotlin mainly targets the JVM, but also compiles to JavaScript.

Kotlin is a modern programming language developed by JetBrains, was first appeared in 2011, but it was officially released in 2016. JetBrains, known for its integrated development environments (IDEs) such as IntelliJ IDEA, developed Kotlin to address the limitations and boilerplate code often associated with Java. One of the important goals of Kotlin is to compile as quickly as Java.

Kotlin is a modern, easy to learn and used to develop android applications, server-side applications, and much more. It was originally designed to improve the Java programming language and is often used in conjunction with Java.

Getting Started with Kotlin:

To getting started with Kotlin, you need the Kotlin compiler and an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio, both of which offer excellent support for Kotlin.

First you need to download and install the Kotlin compiler from the official website: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/?section=windows

Create a new Kotlin project. You can choose a console application, Android application, or any other type of project you want to create and continue.

Example of Kotlin:

The most common “Hello World” example of Kotlin is,

// Hello World Program 
fun main(args : Array<String>) { 
println("Hello, World!") 
}

Features of Kotlin Programming Language:

Here are some of the important key features of Kotlin programming language are as follows,

Interoperability: If you already know Java programing language or worked with Java, you can easily learn Kotlin and can freely call Java code and Java interfaces. Kotlin has seamless interoperability with Java. Developers can easily use Java and Kotlin codes in same project.

Conciseness: Kotlin allows developers to express their ideas more clearly and concisely. Kotlin reduces boilerplate codes.

Compatible with All Android Versions: Kotlin is a primary language for android development. Kotlin is supported by all Android versions, while other programming languages have some restrictions.

Coroutines: Kotlin introduced coroutines, it is used for making asynchronous programming more readable and natural. It is used for handling asynchronous tasks by allowing developers to write sequential code while achieving concurrency.

Fast and Robust Ecosystem: Kotlin is a modern and fast programming language. Kotlin also supports functional programming. It has robust ecosystem and also have more stable Java support.

Applications of Kotlin Programming Language:

Kotlin’s versatility and features is another reason behind its popularity. It is widely used for various application domains. Here are some of the applications of Kotlin programming language are as follows,

Android Development:

Kotlin is officially supported by Google for Android applications development. It becomes the most preferred language for many Android developers due to its modern features.

Web Development:

Kotlin can be used for web development with frameworks like Kotlin/JS, Quarkus, Javalin and Ktor. Kotlin’s innovative features and web development frameworks allows you to write concise and expressive code while maintaining full compatibility.

Backend Development:  

Kotlin is widely used and a great fit for developing server-side applications with the help of frameworks for server-side development with Kotlin such as Spring Boot and Ktor which is use for high scalability and offering an easy-to-use and idiomatic API.

Data Science:

Kotlin is also used widely in data science and machine learning. Kotlin’s concise syntax makes it suitable for data science and machine learning tasks.

Kotlin is a modern and powerful programming language that offers null safety, concise syntax and excellent interoperability with Java. Whether you are an android developer, backend engineer or programmer, Kotlin is one of the best and modern programming language you need to learn and explore.