9 reasons to switch from Java to Kotlin
Tags: kotlin, java, android, mobile
Published: 2022-08-17 09:59:26

In this article we will be listing reasons why you should switch from Java to Kotlin, and why when you start a new project, better to start using kotlin.

As most of you know, Google adopted Kotlin as the preferred language for Android in 2017 and an enormous number of mobile applications have adopted this new language such as Aly express, Coursera, Pinterest, Trello and many more.

Below listing 10 reasons why you should be using Kotling instead of java

**1. Easy to learn**

Java has been around for ages and every time there’s a major update. It results in adding complexity to it such as new features, new add-ons, etc. On the other hand, Kotlin is much newer and lacks the complexity of multiple toppings. This makes coding in Kotlin cleaner and easier.

**2. Fewer bugs**

Kotlin hasfewer issues than Java. This has a lot to do with relative age; Java’s age means that it’s got creaky joints and a trick knee. Kotlin is much younger, so it goes without question that it has fewer issues on record as compared to Java. Kotlin has fewer bugs that's why there’s a lot less time needed to fix bugs.

**3. Ease of Shifting from Java to kotlin**

The shift from Java to Kotlin is smooth and swift. There are no big changes needed to move from one to the other, even if you originally started in Java. IntelliJ which comes bundled with Kotlin and Android studio have plugins that helps you to convert easily your app from Java to kotlin.

**4. Lambda expression & Familiar Syntax**

Kotlin syntax is familiar to any programmer coming from the OOP domain and can be more or less understood. There are of course some differences from Java such as the reworked constructors or the val var variable and functions declarations.

Kotlin supports Lambda Expressions which is not declared but passed directly as an expression. Lambda is more or less like an anonymous function as it has no name. We can use lambda as values and can also pass them as arguments to various methods. They could be used in every way like a normal object.

**5. No Checked Exception**

`val my_Lam :type = { arguments -> Body}`

Kotlin has removed exceptions completely so that it can minimize the verbosity and improve type safety. Which in Java exception causes the problem of empty catch blocks.

**6. Smart (auto) Casts**

Kotlin is quite intelligent when it comes to casts. Let’s look at this simple code snippet:

`fun hello(z: Any) {
    if (z is String) {
        print(z.length) // z is automatically cast to String }
}`

This is only a brief presentation of smart casts possibilities.

**7. Extension Functions**

The presence of extension functions in Kotlin ensures cleaner Android App Interface and many more other benefits. They completely remove the need for the various “Util” classes in Java. They allow us to declare functions on already existing types.

**8. Null Safety Feature**

In Kotlin, there are optional safety types and also every class is a function. Overall, this results in more safety checkups.

`var String_1 : String? = null
var string_2 : String? = “Kotlin Null Safety”
string_2 = null`

Kotlin eliminates the issues of Null reference which in Java, throws NullPointerException during execution. This exception at times leads to application failure or system crash and even data loss. For this Kotlin by default restricts data type to have NULL values at compile type.

**9. IDE Support**

You have a number of options if you intend to get started with Kotlin, such as using IntelliJ which comes bundled with Kotlin or Android studio. Android Studio is the official IDE from Google for developing android applications for android devices. It consists of all the API required to create an app. 

Can be found also on [Techwebies](https://www.techwebies.com/2020/04/16/9-reasons-to-switch-from-java-to-kotlin/)