Kotlin has a truly wide range of applications:
1. Programs capable of processing large amounts of data.
2. Desktop applications of various kinds.
3. Web applications.
4. Mobile applications, including cross-platform options.
5. Most often, this language can be found in applications created for platforms running the Android operating system.
An overview of its advantages
Here are some of its most important characteristics:
1. Safety. Errors can occur only while a program is running, and they are easy to track down when necessary.
2. Conciseness. It is precisely thanks to this quality that more and more people choose to develop with it.
3. The ability to use a large number of frameworks.
4. Full compatibility with Java.
Moreover, you can change the functionality of existing classes without inheriting from them directly. This convenient feature improves code readability overall.
Developers will also appreciate its open source code. Integrating it into a project requires no additional investment, and troubleshooting is made as easy as possible.
Learning it is also simple and straightforward; beginners can master the language.
Why else should you pay attention to Kotlin?
The type system supported by this programming language prevents a large number of errors. Compared with its predecessors, the language is more concise. As mentioned earlier, programmers value this quality.
Google has officially recognized it as the modern standard for Android development. Most new features for the relevant systems are implemented in Kotlin.
The tool has also become indispensable for backend development and servers, desktops, and multiplatform development. This means the tool can be used on several platforms at once, without any additional problems.
How do you get started?
The main thing is to immerse yourself deeply in a project from the very beginning. You should start with the official documentation. It is available on the developers' website, but only in English. The community has released an official Russian translation. This is where you can find the basics of the language. There are free courses, although most of them also use English.
The fastest way to learn is to come up with your own project at the same time and then start implementing it. You can choose any kind of program; the main thing is that its difficulty level isn't too high. But if you want, you can incorporate complex abstractions to see how they work. Later, this project can become a great addition to your portfolio.
There are online compilers that often make excellent practice tools. But later, it is recommended to choose more advanced tools, such as IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio.
There are additional courses specifically aimed at development for Android systems.
The requirements employers set for their employees, including beginners, depend on the specific niche. It is good to have the opportunity to learn several protocols and formats, queries, and databases right away.
Design patterns will also come in handy.
Conclusion
Kotlin can be called a tool developers were missing at earlier stages. Its creators developed a product the community needed. It made it possible to solve most tasks more conveniently, quickly, and easily. Functional programming is the product's main goal. But don't think this solution is universal—there's no such thing. Most program functions are tied to the Android operating system.