Java, Kotlin development

Despite the continuously evolving and rapidly changing dynamics of software development, there are programming languages that remain fundamental and unchanged in their importance.

In 1995, the Java programming language was created, and its popularity reached its peak in the 2000s, although it continues to be one of the most widely used languages in the world, especially for Enterprise and Backend systems. Until 2017, it was considered an irreplaceable tool for building Android applications.

Java is an object-oriented (OOP) and class-based programming language known for its “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA) principle. This means that a program written, for example, for the Windows operating system can run on other platforms without the need for extensive additional work.

What are the advantages of Java?

1. Irreplaceable role in the Big Data ecosystem. Java is at the core of almost all major Big Data technologies in the world. 
2. Many of the most popular Big Data frameworks, including Apache Hadoop and the main components of Apache Spark, were originally written in Java.
3. Stability, high performance, and JVM multi-threading capabilities make Java an ideal solution for processing large volumes of data and scaling systems easily when needed. Java remains highly competitive in this domain.
4. Platform independence. The same program can run on any operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux) without significant changes to the code.
5. Automatic memory management (Garbage Collector). Java has a built-in Garbage Collector mechanism that automatically frees memory no longer used by the program. This significantly reduces the likelihood of memory-related errors.
6. Security. The JVM provides an additional layer of security because the code runs inside a virtual environment (sandbox), preventing malicious code from freely accessing the system’s actual resources.
7. Large developer community and rich ecosystem. Java has one of the largest developer communities, along with a vast number of ready-to-use libraries, frameworks (such as Spring and Hibernate), and development tools. This means that for almost any problem, there is already an existing solution or available support.

Kotlin Programming

Kotlin is a statically typed, pragmatic programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine. It was designed as a more modern, concise, and safer alternative to Java.

Developed by JetBrains, Kotlin was officially recognized by Google in 2017 as a supported language for Android development. In 2019, Google announced that Kotlin was becoming the primary and preferred language for Android development (Kotlin-first).

What are the advantages of Kotlin?

• Less code. Kotlin allows you to perform the same tasks with significantly fewer lines of code compared to Java, sometimes up to 50% less. This means faster development and more readable code.
• No boilerplate code. Kotlin eliminates much of the repetitive boilerplate code required in Java, especially for data classes and getter/setter methods.
• Built-in Null Safety helps solve one of the most painful problems in programming: the Null Pointer Exception. The language requires developers to explicitly define nullability, preventing errors at compile time.
• Full interoperability with Java, which allows Kotlin to work seamlessly with Java within the same project. Java code can be called Kotlin code, and vice versa.
• Access to Java libraries and frameworks (such as Spring and Hibernate), enabling developers to benefit from Java’s mature ecosystem while writing more concise and safe Kotlin code.
• Modern functional capabilities that significantly simplify asynchronous programming and the management of long-running tasks, making the code more readable.
• Extension Functions: Allow adding new functions to existing classes (including those from Java libraries) without modifying their original source code.
• Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP): Kotlin makes it possible to reuse the same code not only for Android, but also for iOS, Web (JavaScript/Wasm), and Desktop application logic, saving both time and resources.