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Java or Kotlin for Android Application Development?

With growing smartphone and app use, the demand for Android application development has surged. At the same time, clients and app users have become more demanding, requiring Android app developers to stay abreast of latest technological advancements. The launch of Kotlin has shaken Java’s foothold on Android mobile app development, can Kotlin replace Java as the industry standard?

RobinPWalker
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Java or Kotlin for Android Application Development?

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  1. Java vs Kotlin - What is Better for Android Application Development? More than a decade ago, enterprise applications could only be imagined as a cumbersome system with no notion of mobility. Even the presence of mobile phones didn't help, as the operating systems of these devices weren't capable of running the enterprise application. This changed with the launch of Android in 2008. It came as a ray of hope for businesses as well as Android app developers, as it provided more flexibility and enabled the efficient use of resources. It didn’t take long for Android to spread and it did so like wildfire. In less than a decade, Android grabbed attained a global market share of 76.53%, according to​​figures released by StatCounter​. Gradually, the adoption of enterprise application became a norm across various industries. Alongside, smartphone usage surged and changed the way people got things done. These two strong trends lead to mobility solutions in the form of enterprise mobile apps. Choice of Programming Language If one goes by the current industry standards, there is Java, a programming language that has dominated web and ​Android application development​ for years. Challenging Java’s reign, came Kotlin in 2017. Developed by JetBrains, Kotlin was envisioned to make programming simple and fun again. Kotlin was created with the aim of simplifying Java’s complex programming structure to expedite and ease the Android mobile app development process. Learning Experience Owing to its long history of upgrades, Java’s programming complexities have continuously increased. Kotlin is much more programmer friendly, reducing the training period to a month. Programming Experience Java provides a rich programming experience with complex classes and flexible functionality. It comprises various predefined functions, objects, and classes, which when used appropriately can provide vast application development capabilities. With Java, Android application development is limited only by the developer’s imagination! However, remembering Java’s syntax and structures is a huge feat. In Kotlin, complex functions and syntax are encapsulated under the guise of intuitive keywords. This eliminates the need to memorize code, while also decreasing code length and decreasing deployment time. Runtime Environment

  2. Though Java is the industry-accepted programming language, even for Android application development, it fails to fully leverage the capabilities of Android Studio, which is Google’s official IDE (integrated development environment). An app written in Java requires other software to gain the necessary compatibility to be deployed. This increases the cost of Android application development. On the other hand, Kotlin has been designed specifically for Android app development and services and is compatible with Android Studio. It’s also compatible with the Java Environment, which means Java code can operate on the Kotlin environment and Kotlin code can be executed on the Java environment. This reduces the cost of training ​Android app developers​. Moreover, user queries regarding the customization of the application can be answered within minutes. File Size When it comes to downloading a mobile app from the Google Play Store, the size of the APK file plays an important role in deciding the app’s popularity. People tend to avoid apps that consume too much space on their devices. The size also impacts the load time and how smoothly the app helps the user accomplish the intended task. This is a slight drawback of Kotlin. Android application development using Kotlin renders the files slightly larger than when developed in Java. The complexity of source code written in Java makes the job of updating the application tedious. Even after updating the application, there is a small chance of some bugs being left untested. This, however, is not the case in Kotlin. With its compact syntax and easily identifiable functions, Kotlin is perfect for Android application development. The chances of error are much less due to Kotlin’s smaller LOC (Line of Code) to test. From an Android app developer’s point of view, Kotlin may be a better language. But one also needs to consider the user. From the consumer’s perspective, it’s essential to choose the right mode of application development. Choosing the right language alone cannot provide one with the necessary competitive edge in the market. Advancements in Android Mobile App Development As Android application development flourished and technology evolved, innovative ways of creating enterprise apps came into the picture. The most notable among these is Android mobile app development using an enterprise-grade MADP (mobile app development platform). In the traditional way, Android app developers would create the enterprise mobility solution from scratch. It involved writing thousands of lines of code, depending on the complexity of the app. This approach is not only time consuming, but highly error-prone. For apps created with this approach, the Android application development stage is followed by a testing and bug-fixing stage. Errors in app use were identified and then it would be up to the Android app developers to go through their code to determine where the error was made in order to rectify the issue. Even an experienced and highly skilled Android app development company could spend several months to more than a year to successfully create and deploy an enterprise app.

  3. With the advent of MADPs, it’s become possible for high-end mobility solutions to be developed and deployed within 2-3 weeks. Such a short timeframe is possible as the MADP offers hundreds of preconfigured modules related to diverse workflows. Android app developers need to simply choose the most appropriate ones and include these in the enterprise mobility solution with a simple drag and drop approach. Thee pre-developed modules have clean codes that are completely bug-free and already incorporate industry best practices. If the enterprise app requires some additional functionalities, these can be coded by the Android app development company. Apart from the reusable modules, the most powerful MADPs offer single-click integration with hundreds of third-party apps and the most widely used legacy systems. In this way, these platforms reduce the time for deploying even a complex and highly customized mobile enterprise application to just a few weeks, which can play a critical role in gaining the competitive edge.

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