Kotlin is a statically typed programming language developed by JetBrains, the same company behind popular IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA. It was designed to address the limitations and challenges faced by developers when working with Java, while maintaining full compatibility with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and existing Java codebases.
The primary goals behind the development of Kotlin were :
1. Interoperability : Kotlin was created to seamlessly interoperate with existing Java code, libraries, and frameworks. It allows developers to call Java code from Kotlin and vice versa without any friction. This interoperability enables a smooth transition for developers and allows Kotlin to be adopted gradually in existing Java projects.
2. Safety : Kotlin aims to provide enhanced safety features compared to Java. It introduces null safety, where null references are explicitly handled at compile-time, reducing the occurrence of null pointer exceptions. The language also incorporates various other features to minimize common programming errors and increase overall code reliability.
3. Conciseness : Kotlin offers a more concise syntax compared to Java, resulting in reduced boilerplate code. It eliminates many of the verbose constructs present in Java, allowing developers to write more expressive and readable code with fewer lines.
4. Modern Language Features : Kotlin includes modern language features, such as support for functional programming concepts like higher-order functions, lambda expressions, and extension functions. These features enable developers to write more expressive and efficient code, leveraging functional programming paradigms.
5. Tooling and Community Support : JetBrains, the company behind Kotlin, provides excellent tooling support through its popular IDEs, such as IntelliJ IDEA. Kotlin has an active and growing community, which contributes to the language's ecosystem with libraries, frameworks, and resources.
