Java x Kotlin: as principais diferenças explicadas

Java x Kotlin: the main differences explained

Java vs Kotlin: Which language is better for Android development? Our comparison guide covers the key differences to help you choose the right language for your project.

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Mobile apps have become indispensable for most businesses. With these applications, customers can purchase your products more easily, interact with your company, get help and even promote your products and/or services. And given that currently 60.67% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices , you can no longer deny the staying power of phones as computers. That number will only continue to increase, meaning every business will have to add a mobile app to stay competitive in an already overly competitive world. For that, it's purely a Java vs. Kotlin.

When it comes to mobile operating systems, if we look at the global numbers, Android is the clear winner, with a 72.26% market share . This means that if your company plans to do global business, Android better be part of your strategy.

For this, you will need Java or Kotlin. But which one should you choose? Both languages ​​are perfectly suited to the Android platform, but only one has Google's seal of approval as the “official language” for apps.

Let's take a look at these two languages ​​so you can see the main differences.

What is Java?

Java has been around for almost 30 years. The language was created by James Gosling in May 1995 for Sun Microsystems and has become one of the most used languages ​​on the planet. With a current TIOBE index of 3, Java shows no signs of disappearing.

Java was created to be a small, reliable, portable, distributed, real-time operating platform, but it has evolved into something much larger than originally intended. There are two reasons for this. The first is web applications. The second (and more important) is that Java has become Google's preferred programming language for the Android operating system. And while most Android apps aren't written in Java, the operating system itself is.

But Java is not limited to mobile applications. You'll find Java used for gaming, cloud computing, big data, AI, and even IoT. Java has developed a large following because A) it can do a lot and B) there are many resources available for languages. Java has a tremendously active community, countless development tools, and is completely platform independent.

Java was originally created to be a “write once, run anywhere” language, which allowed developers to use a single language to create applications that could run in a JVM runtime environment that could be deployed on any platform . Java also relied heavily on sandboxing, which meant that rich client applications could be more easily and securely deployed in an enterprise environment.

Java has become so widely used that you should have no problem finding a Java development service to help you create the perfect portable application for your needs.

Java Advantages

Java has a number of advantages that help make it a popular language among programmers and businesses, including the following:

  • It's easy to learn – Java was originally designed to be easy to learn and use.
  • It is object-oriented – Java is an object-oriented language, so it is easy to create modular programs and codes that can be reused.
  • It is platform independent – ​​This means it will run on any operating system.
  • It is very stable – Java and applications written with it are very stable.
  • It is secure – Java avoids certain security issues by using explicit pointers to reduce threats.
  • It provides automatic garbage collection – Java ensures that when an object is no longer used by a program, it will be automatically collected and removed.
  • It is multithreaded – Java can run more than one thread at a time to maximize CPU utilization.
  • It is distributed – Java is a distributed language, which means it provides a mechanism for sharing data and programs across multiple computers to increase application performance.
  • Enjoy a huge community – With Java, there is never a shortage of help.

Disadvantages of Java

  • It is not a fast language – Java consumes a lot of memory and is considerably slower than similar languages.
  • Your GUIs are outdated – Java GUIs look like they were built in the late 90s or early 2000s, so they don't look very modern.
  • Does not offer data backup – Java does not offer any feature for data backup.
  • Not easy to read – Java code is not as succinct as similar languages.

Which companies use Java?

There are tens of thousands of large companies using Java today, including the following:

  • Uber
  • Airbnb
  • Google
  • Pinterest
  • Netflix
  • Instagram
  • Spotify
  • Amazon

What tools integrate with Java?

Because Java has been around for a long time, there are a large number of tools that integrate or work seamlessly with the language, including the following:

  • Jenkins – for CI/CD
  • Site24x7 – for monitoring Java applications
  • ManageEngine – proactively monitors Java applications and infrastructure performance
  • JUnit – a Java testing tool
  • NetBeans – one of the most popular IDEs on the market
  • Apache Maven – software project management tool
  • Mockito – a Java mocking framework that helps developers write clean code

What is Kotlin?

Although Google uses Java as the main programming language for the Android operating system, on May 7, 2019, Google dubbed Kotlin the official language for Android applications. This does not mean that these two languages ​​are completely separate. In fact, there are still Android apps written in Java, but most apps for Google's mobile platform are written in Kotlin.

Kotlin was originally created by Dmitry Jemerov (lead developer at JetBrains) in July 2011 after he realized that most languages ​​didn't offer the features he needed. The Scala language was considered, but Jemerov found its compilation too slow. Because of this, he decided to create a language that offered the features of Scala with a much faster compilation time. Thus, Kotlin was created.

A year after its creation (in February 2012), JetBrains released Kotlin under the Apache 2 open source license. The name was inspired by the island of Kotlin (a tribute to Java which was named after the island of the same name).

With a TIOBE Index of 26, Kotlin is not as popular as Java. Still, thanks to the popularity of Android, you will have no problem finding a Kotlin development company anywhere in the world.

Advantages of Kotlin

Kotlin has many advantages, most of which indicate that it is quite easy to learn and employ. These advantages include the following:

  • It's concise – Kotlin makes it possible to write less code. The advantage of writing fewer lines of code means your developers will introduce fewer bugs.
  • Written by developers for developers – Kotlin was created by industry professionals, so by design it solves many challenges faced by developers.
  • Easy to learn – Kotlin is easier to learn than many other general-purpose languages. And because Kotlin is fully compatible with Java, you can make it work with your existing code.
  • Zero runtime overhead – The Kotlin standard library is lean and fast because it serves as an extension to the Java standard library.
  • Cross-platform development – ​​Kotlin can be used for Android app development and even integrated with JavaScript, so you can migrate your front-end apps to Kotlin with little effort.
  • No null references – Kotlin’s type system virtually eliminates the “billion dollar mistake” of null references.

Disadvantages of Kotlin

Kotlin has its disadvantages such as:

  • It has fewer tools – As it is a less mature language than Java, Kotlin does not take advantage of nearly as many tools and integrations.
  • It is slower to compile – Although Kotlin compiles faster than Scala, it is still slower than Java.
  • Smaller community – Where Java has a huge community, Kotlin is far behind in this area, which means it can be harder to find support.

Which companies use Kotlin?

As Kotlin is used for Android app development, you can be sure that there are a large number of companies that make use of the language, including the following:

  • Udemy
  • Day off
  • Robinhood
  • BELIEVE
  • Delivery Hero
  • Technology Stack
  • Flammable
  • HENNGE KK
  • Pinterest
  • Postmates
  • Uber
  • Evernote
  • Course

What tools integrate with Kotlin?

You won't find as many tools that integrate with Kotlin as you will with Java. However, there are some important tools to consider, such as the following:

Main differences between Java and Kotlin

Java Kotlin
Year of Creation 1995 2011
The creator James Gosling (Wikipedia) JetBrains (Wikipedia)
Documentation Java documentation Kotlin Documentation
Language type Compiled Language Compiled Language
Typing Statically typed Statically typed
TIOBE Classification 4 26
Popularity Very popular and widely used language, with a vast ecosystem and strong community support. Popular and growing language with strong community support.
Forms Web development, Android apps, enterprise apps Android app development, server side apps, web development
Performance High performance and widely used in enterprise applications High performance and interoperability with the existing Java code base.
Stability Stable and well established Stable and actively developed and improved.
Learning curve Moderate – Learning Java requires understanding its object-oriented concepts, especially for beginners. Moderate – Kotlin's modern syntax and interoperability with Java can make the learning process easier.
Community support Large, active community with extensive documentation and online learning resources. Large and active community with extensive documentation and strong support from JetBrains.
Development time Java development time can be longer due to its verbosity and strict syntax. Kotlin's concise syntax and language features can lead to faster development times.
Main advantages
  • Platform independence with “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA)
  • Rich ecosystem and libraries
  • Strong community support.
  • Interoperability with Java
  • Concise and expressive syntax
  • Enhanced security features with null safety and type inference.
Main disadvantages
  • Verbosity and boilerplate code
  • Memory consumption may be higher compared to some other languages
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners.
  • Kotlin's rapid evolution could lead to some important changes
  • Smaller ecosystem compared to Java.
Companies that use this technology Amazon, Netflix, Twitter Pinterest, Evernote, Coursera
Cross-platform support Java offers cross-platform support, allowing developers to run code on different operating systems without modification. Kotlin offers cross-platform support and can be seamlessly integrated into the existing Java codebase, making it a popular choice for Android app development.

There are some important differences between Java and Kotlin, including the following:

  • Primary usage: Although Java is used as the main programming language for the Android operating system, Kotlin has been dubbed the official language of Android applications.
  • Object-Oriented: Kotlin combines features of object-oriented and functional programming, whereas Java is limited to object-oriented methodology only.
  • Extensions: Kotlin allows users to create and use extension functions, whereas Java does not.
  • Conversions: Java supports implicit conversions while Kotlin does not.

What will the future be like?

There is no doubt that both Java and Kotlin have a bright future ahead of them. Given that Java is the official programming language for the Android operating system and Kotlin has been declared the official language for Android apps, you can be sure that neither is going anywhere. Furthermore, Java has a bright future with web applications and AI, so its future is practically assured.

The only thing that could change this is if Google finally moves from Android to Fuschia, which doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

Java vs Kotlin: who wins?

If you are looking for a language that can be used to create applications for any platform, Java is the winner. If, however, you want to create apps for the Android operating system, Kotlin is the right choice.

When to use Java

Java should be considered when you want to create various types of applications that will run on any platform that includes the Java Virtual Machine. With Java, you can create games, mobile apps, web apps, AI apps, apps that work with big data, and apps that run on IoT devices.

When to use Kotlin

Kotlin is your best choice for writing concise Android apps with less code and fewer bugs.

If you liked this, be sure to check out one of our other Java articles:

  • Java Concurrency: Master the Art of Multithreading
  • Java garbage collection
  • Java Integration Testing Explained with Examples
  • 10 Best Java NLP Libraries and Tools
  • Top 10 most popular Java frameworks

Source: BairesDev

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