Kotlin and Java are the main programming languages used by Android developers. While they have a few differences, they are both excellent at slightly different tasks. This overview will not go over in depth of the syntax or the structure of these languages. Instead, this article is designed to inform developers or people curious about computer science what Kotlin and Java are best for.
Java:
Designed by Sun Microsystems, inc. and now maintained by Oracle Corp., Java is the primary language all Android devices use. Its main advantage is that it is software-independent, which can be used by almost any platform, unlike Swift, which is dependent on IOS. It also supports various development libraries, including GUI tools, making it a very powerful language. Because of its software independence, games or apps developed on Windows or Linux can also run on Android, albeit with a few minor graphical and functional changes. Moreover, the Java Virtual Machine, or JVM, can run code securely, regardless of the operating system, and has high performance.
Kotlin:
Kotlin is much newer than Java. It is mainly used as a game development language for Android. Developed by JetBrains, the same developers for the IntelliJ IDE, it debuted in 2016. However, in 2017, Kotlin quickly rose to a rank similar to Java due to all its support from Google since Google owns Android, dubbed a first-class language. Interestingly enough, Kotlin runs on its own version of JVM, which can interoperate with Java, and not just Java but also interoperates with Javascript. Most libraries it uses are the same as Java, making it a newer and modern incarnation of Java. Aside from receiving the full support of Google, Kotlin's simple and concise syntax makes it a much easier language to learn besides Java and makes it less prone to writing errors. This makes it a popular language for game development due to the need to use less code with fewer syntax rules.
While Kotlin and Java have contrasting differences, they are essentially the same. Its compatibility with Java, its more straightforward-to-read syntax, support by Google, and everyday use in game development make it a popular language. Long story short, it is best to use both of them, but neither is better.