Should I learn Java or Kotlin in order to develop Android apps?
Kotlin has many features and tools that Java does lacks. But to learn Kotlin you need to learn Java. As Kotlin has been derived from Java. Some of you will think that “No it is not necessary to learn Java to learn Kotlin” but when you use Kotlin to develop apps in android studio you will have to use Java libraries and ultimately you have to use the knowledge of Java to write the code on kotlin.
There are many advantages of using Kotlin over Java:
- Kotlin is more concise than Java. Kotlin here gets more points compared to Java. While, writing Java code we have to write lots of boiler-plate (boilerplate is a part of code that has to be included, means it is a necessity to write that code.for e.g: public static void main(String [] args){} ) code which consumes space and time. Hence, Kotlin helps the developer here. Kotlin does not require boilerplate code which makes it a clear, expressive, powerful and concise programming language. Below is an example of the “Hello World” program!
Above is an example of Kotlin and Java code. As Kotlin looks more concise and clear.
2. Now, many of you must be thinking that python is also an alternative if we do not want to write boilerplate code. We like using Java because it runs on JVM (Java Virtual Machine) which produces the byte code. But, my point is that JVM makes the language platform-independent. Similarly, Kotlin also runs on JVM and is platform-independent.
3. Kotlin would be having more safety features than Java in the future hence, Kotlin is a better programming language.
4. Kotlin is interoperable with the existing Android programming languages and runtimes which means you can call into the Java language from Kotlin and Kotlin language from Java.
5. Last, but not the least. Android Studio is built upon the IntelliJ IDEA and it is built by Jet Brains and the same company built the programming language Kotlin so it is easy for the developers to make features and tools.
Hence, in my opinion, Kotlin is more preferred language as time changes so do the technology. Kotlin is a better programming language for Android development. So if you know Java then you can easily learn Kotlin.
you can learn from youtube for free!
Happy to help!