Kotlin is statically typed, general-purpose programming language. It is currently the primary language for android application development, and also used for web platforms. It supports compilation to JVM (Java Virtual Machine) and JS (JavaScript), making it interoperable with Java and JavaScript.
Kotlin Programmming Style
Kotlin coding can follow Object-Oriented, Functional and Imperative programming styles.
Kotlin Development Environment
- IDE: Most used tool for Kotlin projects is IntelliJ IDEA from JetBrains, with Kotlin development integrated with it. It can be downloaded from Intelliji Downloads.
- Command Prompt: To run Kotlin from command prompt, follow instructions here: Kotin Command Line Compiler.
- Online: For experimenting with Kotlin, without installing locally, there are online options, such as: Kotin Playground.
Kotlin Applications
Kotlin privides full-stake solution, for mobile (android), on server side and also in web browser:
Kotlin can be transpiled to JavaScript, which means that Kotlin code can be compiled into JavaScript code that can run in the browser. This makes Kotlin a viable alternative to JavaScript for front-end development.- Android Development: Kotlin is currently the most preferred programming language for Android Development, with more concise and expressive syntax than Java, and with its null safety feature.
- Server-side applications: In addition to its own frameworks (Ktor), Kotlin can also run Java based back-end systems, such as Spring Boot, Quarkus etc.
- Web Applications: Kotlin on the front-end can be used similar to JavaScript for web applications (Kotlin.js), as Kotlin code cab be compiled into JavaScript code that can run in the browser, making it viable aternative to JavaScript.
Useful Links
- JetBrains Kotlin Tutorial.
- Kotlin for Android by Google.
- Kotlin on GitHub by JetBrains.
- Atomic Kotlin by Bruce Eckel and Svetlana Isakova.