If I had read up on Kotlin earlier, I would’ve made the switch from Java years ago.

You can find a video of this at the bottom of the page.

I spent some time reviewing Kotlin 1.4.0 as well as the Kotlin Roadmap for the next few months. Learning about the latest version and upcoming changes helped me understand what makes Kotlin ideal for Android Development.

Kotlin is used in some well known apps including the Google Home app and Duolingo. Version 1.4.0 of Kotlin was released mid August 2020 and came with a variety of fixes for performance issues. Problems related to IDE crashes and memory leaks were among those fixed in this update.

You know how your IDE takes a second to highlight code when it starts? Kotlin 1.4.0 includes changes which highlights code faster when opening projects. In addition to this, there is a new compiler available which also results in faster performance when working on projects.

Kotlin 1.4.0 also comes with a Coroutine Debugger. The Coroutine Debugger includes more efficient tools for identifying bugs in apps using coroutines for asynchronous programming.

After reviewing these changes, I wanted to see what Kotlin has in store for users over the coming months. According to the Kotlin team, it’s set to be complete in March of 2021 with the next update scheduled for January 2021.

To summarize, the top priorities include optimizing the cycle for releasing changes, testing, the compiler, and the Kotlin IDE. Overall, the team is seeking to provide more stability and speed to improve the Kotlin experience.

From what I’ve gathered, Kotlin was meant to ease the process of Android Development by making it more efficient. Now they’re making Kotlin even MORE efficient. Efficient upgrades for already efficent tools? That speaks to the way of life here at Coding Fanatic and I’m excited to get started with this new language. That’s why I tested my skills on the Kotlin Play website! (click below).

Okay, so I still have a ways to go. But I made an honest guess at how to add classes in Kotlin. One day I’ll look back on this post and laugh, but for now, I’m willing to put in the work to get a handle of this new skill. 

Java served me well in the beginning. Now it’s time to upgrade to something new.

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Coding Fanatic

Sources:
Kotlin 1.4.0 Release Notes: https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2020/08/kotlin-1-4-released-with-a-focus-on-quality-and-performance/

Kotlin Roadmap:  https://kotlinlang.org/roadmap.html

Kotlin Play: https://play.kotlinlang.org 

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Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

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http://www.androidguys.com/news/smart-tips-to-develop-android-apps-using-kotlin-a-guide-for-beginners/