This is likely why Kotlin has a popular place in mobile app development.

What’s more, Kotlin works with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which provides an environment for Java-based applications to execute by converting code into machine language. For instance, you can add Java source code to an existing Kotlin project or add Kotlin source code to a Java project. In terms of interoperability, this simply means that Kotlin and Java are compatible with one another. The fact that Kotlin uses both static typing and type inference suggests that the language is strongly typed, meaning that data types have strict parameters relating to how they are declared and changed throughout the program. Thus Kotlin relies less on the user to deliver information, relying on data-oriented inference. In type inference, data types are detected automatically at compile time.

Type inference has similar goals to type checking. When type checking occurs at compile time, errors are detected earlier in development. Type checking occurs when the variable types are checked to verify whether or not they agree with the system. Statically typed languages perform type checking at compile time versus runtime. Static typing stands as a contrast to dynamic typing.

Other notable features of Kotlin include static typing, type inference, and its rather intentional interoperability with Java. Just in being open-source and cross-platform, Kotlin is by definition widely accessible, from any major platform whether that be Windows, Linux, or Mac, to any developer who wishes to modify the project via its open-source licensing. Released in 2016, Kotlin is fairly modern but comes equipped with numerous features. Kotlin is an open-source, cross-platform, general-purpose programming language. Some languages in particular are built to meet multiple demands at once.įor example, Kotlin is a Java alternative that – while often associated with Android app development – can be utilized for almost any type of development, including server-side web development. Scalable software development starts with picking a viable tech stack that can meet your business’s needs and prove to be reliable down the line.

Kotlin development