What is Kotlin used for?

Kotlin is a free, open-source, programming language that incorporates object-oriented and functional programming language. It prioritizes interoperability, safety, clarity, and tools support. For various processors, versions of Kotlin targeting JavaScript ES5.1 and native code with the usage of LLVM [Low-Level Virtual Machine] are in production. 

The programmers may have gotten quite acquainted with this programming language, however, since the purpose of this article is for general consumption and growth in the knowledge base, I shall be sharing with you what Kotlin is, where it finds use, its benefits, and what lies ahead.  

Kotlin, as a programming language for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), finds great use everywhere Java is currently utilized. This implies from the creation of server, client, web, down to Android applications. The programming language was created by JetBrains, who are not relentless in working to bring Kotlin to embedded devices and iOS, this enthusiasm would certainly make them a one-stop language for all application domains. 

With its most recent version being 1.5.21, which was released on July 13, 2021, Kotlin's clear language architecture and powerful capabilities are what make it so popular among developers. Its express purpose is to bring together programming language elements that have shown to be helpful for large-scale projects, rather than adding new notions. 

Kotlin is free software and was created under the Apache 2.0 license, the source code may be seen on GitHub. 

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Kotlin is used for server-side, client-side web, and Android programming. With Kotlin/Native in the works, support for more platforms like embedded devices, macOS, and iOS will be made available in due time. Kotlin is used for mobile and server-side apps, client-side with JavaScript or JavaFX, and data science, and the list is endless. 

For simplified product maintenance or optimization of custom Android application development, one could assign some engineers to migrate the project to Kotlin beginning with a small portion of the codebase. 

Although the standard library is tiny and compact, it still consists of most of the targeted additions to the Java standard library. Because of the extensive usage of compile-time in the lining, functional constructions such as pipelines of map/filter/reduce code compile identically to a better version of the same code. 

The Kotlin developers incorporated ideas into the semantics that avoid a range of typical errors that occur during program execution. This makes Kotlin better in the level of safety compared to Java applications. 

It is good to note that the Kotlin programming language is completely compatible with Java. While developing more explicit and succinct code, Kotlin developers have access to all Java frameworks and libraries which makes work easier. 

As a result of this unique feature, Android engineers could design mobile apps in both languages and transition their apps between Java to Kotlin or otherwise. 

While you may worry about having a big Java-based project with millions of code lines, the good news is you could also easily convert it to Kotlin, taking one file at a time and everything will continue to compile correctly. 

What is better than writing codes, I guess writing fewer codes. Giving credits to JetBrains who did their best to make the language as concise as possible, without any flaws or bugs. This gives room for less code and therefore enhances readability that also should be considered and desirably improved. 

When done correctly, the ripple effect of less code leads to fewer problems. When you delegate certain tedious elements of coding to the framework, you free up more time for creativity rather than job completion. Kotlin is all on readability, simplicity, and making the app development process easier. 

Kotlin is better than Java because it is terser. Rough estimations show a 40% reduction in the number of lines of code. It is also more type-safe, for example, it enjoys support for non-nullable types thereby reducing the likelihood of NPEs [Null Pointer Exception] in applications.  

Other capabilities such as smart casting, higher-order functions, extension functions, and lambdas with receivers allow you to write expressive code while also easing the construction of DSL {Domain Specific Language] 

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