Java has been a favorite programming language among developers for almost the last two decades. Developers relied on Java abruptly when it comes to developing web apps and android apps.
However, when Google announced Kotlin as the official language for Android development in 2017, developers started focusing on Kotlin.
But, both Java and Kotlin have their pros and cons. Investing time and learning about both languages will allow you to make better choices for your upcoming android app development projects.
So, now let us understand what exactly they are before concluding which is a better language.
What is Java?
Java is an object-oriented programming language that was launched in 1995 by Sun Microsystems. Now it is owned by Oracle. It is one of the oldest and reliable languages that programmers have used for Android and web applications for a long time.
Most of the Java elements are available in open-source. Developers consider Java as a reliable programming language for the following reasons:
- ★ Java is a class-based and object-oriented programming language.
- ★ Concurrently, you can execute many statements simultaneously instead of doing them sequentially.
- ★ Java is platform-independent. That is a significant advantage as you can compile the code on all platforms. So, it's like code once and runs anywhere. Thus, Java is ideal for developing all kinds of mobile and web applications.
No wonder most of the Android apps and the Android itself are Java-based. Developers often use Java to build the following:
- ★ Android Apps
- ★ Embedded Systems
- ★ Server Apps
- ★ Big Data Tools and Systems
- ★ Web Apps
What is Kotlin?
Kotlin is a statically typed programming language. Programmers initially used Kotlin for Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and JavaScript. It is a combination of both object-oriented and functional programming features. As Kotlin is compatible with Java stacks, one can use Kotlin everywhere Java is used.
Kotlin grabbed everyone’s attention when Google officially supported it for Android app development. After Android Studio 3.0 release in 2017, developers considered Kotlin as an alternative to the standard Java compiler.
Programmers often prefer Kotlin for the following reasons:
- ★ Kotlin has advanced functional features that support Java interoperability.
- ★ Kotlin is a general-purpose language.
- ★ It improvises the coding experience effectively.
- ★ You can compile Kotlin to JavaScript and interoperate it with Java.
- ★ Kotlin supports all leading Integrated Development Environment (IDEs) and is compatible with Java version 6 or 8.
- ★ You can write significantly less code as compared with Java. Fewer codes mean smaller file sizes compared to Java.
JetBrains launched Kotlin to make Java coding even more productive. Kotlin became an official programming language in 2018. Developers can compile Kotlin into JavaScript and run it on Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
Most of the tech giants prefer Kotlin for their Android apps. Companies like Netflix, Trello, Pinterest, Uber, and Twitter rely on Kotlin for their mobile apps.
Pros of Java:
- Java is a simple and easy-to-understand language.
- It is highly flexible that you can run it in a browser window or a virtual machine. Thus, it comes in handy when you are reusing code or updating software.
- Ideal for cross-platform apps.
- Android relies on Java as the Android SDK contains many standard Java libraries.
- Java has an extensive open-source ecosystem.
- Java apps are more compact compared to Kotlin.
- High speed. Java ensures a faster build process than Kotlin.
Cons of Java:
- Java has limitations and can cause issues with Android API design.
- Java requires writing more code than Kotlin. Thus, it poses a higher risk of errors and bugs.
- It demands a lot of memory.
Pros of Kotlin:
- Switching from Java to Kotlin is effortless. You will only need to install the Kotlin plugin.
- Comprises of smart extension functions that help to build effective APIs.
- Kotlin overcomes nullability problems associated with Java by placing null directly in its type system.
- It is more concise than Java. Thus, it eliminates errors and bugs.
- Kotlin is interoperable with Java. It is compatible with all Java libraries and frameworks.
- It is pretty easy to adopt Kotlin. It does not cost anything. All you need is to learn and get trained in the language.
Cons of Kotlin:
- It is challenging to switch the entire team to Kotlin because of its concise syntax.
- Compilation speed is slower than Java.
- As Kotlin is still emerging, there are only limited learning resources. Thus, the developers may find difficulty in finding answers to their queries.
- Almost all Kotlin developers are still exploring it. Thus, it will be tough to find an experienced Kotlin developer.
Java Versus Kotlin
Now, with this basic knowledge, let us compare Kotlin and Java considering the following parameters:
- → Null Safety
- → Development Speed
- → Compilation Time
- → Lambda Expressions
- → Community Support
Null Safety: Kotlin has inbuilt null safety, unlike Java. As Android relies on null to represent the absence of a value, Kotlin can help by incorporating inherent null safety. This specific feature eliminates the need for extra code. Thus Kotlin is more developer-friendly.
Development Speed: Both Kotlin and Java have good code development speed. However, Java scores more points in development speed compared to Kotlin.
Compilation Time: When it comes to compilation speed, Java outperforms Kotlin. Yes, Java is comparatively faster than Kotlin.
Lambda Expressions: Kotlin supports lambda expressions, whereas Java does not support them. Lambda expressions are anonymous functions that you can treat as values. Developers can pass them as arguments to methods and return them. To be precise, they can treat them as normal objects.
Community Support: Kotlin is a relatively new language than Java. Thus it has a smaller community and limited learning resources. Java is a vast programming language, and hence you will find a sizable community circle and immense learning resources.
Java vs Kotlin
| Parameters | Java | Kotlin |
|---|---|---|
| Null Safety | No | Yes |
| Development Speed | Faster than Kotlin | Fast |
| Compilation Time | Fast | Slow |
| Lambda Expressions | No | Yes |
| Community Support | Large | Limited |
Now let us weigh both Java and Kotlin to find which is more reliable for android app development.
Benefits of Java over Kotlin:
- ★ Java is comparatively easier to learn than Kotlin. Kotlin demands prior programming knowledge. It has a highly concise syntax that requires some learning upfront. However, its syntax has an immense advantage.
- ★ Java has a faster compilation speed than Kotlin. But, Kotlin does beat Java in a few instances.
- ★ Java has been there for many years and has a larger community and vast learning resources than Kotlin. However, Kotlin is also equally gaining popularity, and the community will expand over time.
- ★ It is relatively easier to find an experienced Java developer than to find an experienced Kotlin developer. Kotlin is new, and everyone is still learning and experiencing it.
- ★ Android Studio features like auto-complete and compilation run faster in Java in comparison to Kotlin.
Benefits of Kotlin over Java:
- ★ Kotlin is interoperable with Java. Thus you can leverage all existing Java libraries, JVM, and frameworks with Kotlin.
- ★ Kotlin has concise syntax. Thus it drastically reduces the amount of boilerplate code in your project.
- ★ Switching to Java from Kotlin is not so expensive.
- ★ Kotlin enhances run-time performance in comparison to Java.
Will Kotlin Replace Java?
Now comes the crucial question. Will Kotlin replace Java? When JetBrains released Kotlin, many people thought it would eventually replace Java in the Android app development. Many people argued in all online forums about Kotlin overtaking Java's place.
But No. Kotlin will not replace Java entirely. Kotlin has some crucial features but, so does Java. They both can gel together and provide us improvised versions. Yes, both Java and Kotlin go hand in hand for android development. We want to clarify that fact for three reasons.
Firstly, when Google announced Kotlin as a first-class language for writing Android apps, Google stated in a later keynote that Kotlin is only an additional language. That means it is not a replacement for its existing Java support.
Secondly, Google mentioned Kotlin as a first-class language. That means Kotlin is one of the top-class language support for Android and not a replacement for Java on Android app development.
Thirdly, the code base of the Android Framework Layer is on Java. Thus, an Android team can't port the entire framework on Kotlin. Also, Java interacts with C/C++ through JNI (Java Native Interface) like Kotlin.
So, finally, experts feel that Kotlin will not replace Java. However, there is nothing wrong with developers learning a new and exciting technology like Kotlin. It will only add value to their knowledge.
Final Thoughts
In most cases, there is a high probability that most of your team might be already familiar with Java. Switching the entire crew to Kotlin might be a challenge. Thus, you can do the transition eventually, one developer at a time.
However, that does not mean the team should leave Java entirely. It is just that learning a new language and getting adapted to the future. Otherwise, Java will continue to be the most familiar and popular language. It will take a long time for Kotlin to replace Java completely.
Finally, it is all about your familiarity with the technology. If you are already well-worse in Java, you can go ahead with that, but you can upgrade yourself by learning Kotlin too.
Not sure which technology to abide by for your android app development? At Cypherox Technologies, we have both Java and Kotlin experts who can assist you with technical consultancy. You can rely on them for choosing the right technology for your business.
Our developers are experts who keep updating themselves with newer technologies and trends. Reach us if you are not sure about the language for your project. We are just a click away.
