Java and Kotlin both are object-oriented programming languages. But both are used for different purposes. Kotlin is used to develop android applications while Java is mainly used for developing enterprise applications. In this section, we have discussed the differences between Java and Kotlin.
Kotlin Vs. Java
Kotlin Vs. Java
Java and Kotlin both are object-oriented programming languages. But both are used for different purposes. Kotlin is used to develop android applications while Java is mainly used for developing enterprise applications. In this section, we have discussed the differences between Java and Kotlin.
Java
Java is the most popular, widely used, object-oriented programming language designed by James Gosling. Using Java, we can create a variety of applications such as desktop applications, enterprise applications, cloud-based, and web-based applications. Usually, it is used to develop the back end. Java is the primary choice for the developers when it comes to Android app development. Note that Android itself is written in Java.
Why Java?
Though no longer the only officially supported language for Android development and, of course, far from the only choice for web programming, Java keeps pace with the alternatives. And since that's not only thanks to its respectable age, let's explore what advantages Java has to offer. Another reason to use Java is that it is highly scalable, robust, and secure. This is the reason; it is used widely.
Easy to learn.
It is a powerful development tool.
Available free of cost.
Pros
Memory is managed by the JVM automatically.
It is more secure.
Platform independent.
Highly secure
Provides vast community support.
Cons
Syntaxes in Java are complex and large.
Verbose and complex code.
Its performance is poor.
Easy to learn.
It is a powerful development tool.
Available free of cost.
Pros
Memory is managed by the JVM automatically.
It is more secure.
Platform independent.
Highly secure
Provides vast community support.
Cons
Syntaxes in Java are complex and large.
Verbose and complex code.
Its performance is poor.
Example of Java Code
HelloWorldExample.java
class HelloWorldExample
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello, World!");
}
}
Output:
Hello, World!
Kotlin
Kotlin is also an object-oriented programming language just like Java developed by JetBrains. It is a general-purpose, open-source, sterically-typed, cross-platform pragmatic programming language with type inference. It is particularly designed to interoperate with Java and also to improve the existing Java models by offering solutions to API design deficiencies.
Kotlin is specially designed for JVM and Android. A combination of JVM and android combines object-oriented and functional programming features. Note that Kotlin's standard library totally depends on the Java class library. It focused on safety, clarity, and interoperability.
The combination of Kotlin and Java reduces the boilerplate code which is good for android developers. Kotlin source code is compiled by the LLMV (compiler technology). It compiles Kotlin source code into the stand-alone binaries.
Most of the companies like Twitter, Pinterest, Netflix, Uber, etc. switching to Kotlin for android app development. Because it is lightweight, clean, concise, and less verbose especially for writing callbacks, data classes, and getter/setters.
Google LLC considers it as the second official language for app development. It is the most popular programming language among android developers.
Why Kotlin?
Kotlin is a modern, concise, interoperable, and safe programming language. It provides a productive way to write a server-side application. It is compatible with the Java ecosystem because we can use our favorite framework and libraries with it. It also saves time and effort.
It is supporting new JVM features, like string concatenation via invoke dynamic.
Improved performance and exception handling for KMM projects.
Experimental extensions for JDK path Path("dir") / "file.txt".
Pros
It is compatible with existing Java code.
It is interoperable with Java.
It increases team productivity.
It is easily maintainable.
It is less buggy and more reliable.
Provides rich API for application development.
Cons
The compilation speed of Kotlin is slow.
It has a small developer community.
Memory consumption is high.
Example of Kotlin Code
HelloWorld.kt
fun main(args : Array<String>)
{
println("Hello, World!")
}
Output:
Hello, World!
Difference Between Java and Kotlin
In the following table, we have made a head-to-head comparison between Java and Kotlin. Let's see which programming language won the fight.
Finally, we can opt for Kotlin if we want to develop an android application or want to do server-side programming. We should go with Java if we want to develop an enterprise application or desktop application or web application.
