Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile-New Approach To Cross-Platform Development
Cross-platform mobile app development is the process of developing a single application that can be deployed on multiple platforms. The major advantage of cross-platform mobile app development is that it requires less time and money to develop the same application for multiple platforms. This saves you from developing the same application for Android, iOS, Windows, and other operating systems.
Kotlin multiple platform mobile is a new approach for mobile app development technology designed to simplify the development process of cross-platform mobile applications. For both native & cross-platform apps, you will get combined benefits. Such as, developers can share the codebase for both iOS & Android. Also, Developers can write similar server logic for the server layer. Also, they can maintain a single codebase data storage, networking, analytics & other application logic for both Android & iOS apps. Kotlin multiplatform kit allows other platforms like Linux, Windows & the Web.
Kotlin is basically one such programming language that has been designed to compile JavaScript and native code. JetBrains, a software development company, developed it, and it’s been open-source since February 2016. Leading brands like Netflix, VMWare & Philips use KMM for product reliability & optimizing speeds.
How Does Kotlin Multiplatform Run?
As Kotlin enables multiple mobile platforms to reuse pieces of code, we can take Android & iOS, for instance. Developers already familiar with the Kotlin programming language will find it easy to start using KMM in their development projects.
As Android has a virtual machine, the shared logic code can be converted into Java bytecode & layer can be executed on JVM. On the other hand, iOS doesn’t involve any virtual machine. In this case, the code will be converted into native code that can be executed on iOS.
Kotlin compiler front converts the code into an intermediate representation (IR), and the backend converts that intermediate representation into machine-executable code. Kotlin provides platform-specific compilers. For different platforms, it provides different compilers like- Kotlin/ JVM, Kotlin/ JavaScript, and Kotlin/ Native. Each version has platform-specific libraries, tools & extensions.
Benefits Of Kotlin Multiplatform
Saves Time For Developers
Writing code twice for iOS developers & Android developers is quite time-consuming. For KMM, Developers can save time for both Android & iOS development processes as they have to write server logic for once regarding all platforms. Through KMM, they can gear up their app development process by 30%. Also, features like null safety, IDE support, and interoperability with Java make the development process less complex and fast. Code sharing feature saves developers time and effort, & it makes app development faster and easier.
KMM Requires Clear, Quick & Clear
Kotlin is popular for its concise code & clear syntax. Developers can share common code without re-architecting & re-working. Optional sharing, lower risk, and smooth interop without any 3rd environment contribute equally to making KMM worth trying for your next cross-platform project. As developers can share code for all platforms, they need less time to debug the code & fix the mistakes.
Different Visual Appearance
Though Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile helps developers share common parts of the code, they are allowed to build UI code separately to make apps native regarding its platform. For instance, an iOS developer makes a visual part according to the iPhone app's appearance. At the same time, an Android developer creates different visual parts for an Android app. So, unlike regular cross-platform methods, Kotlinn multiplatform won't let you sacrifice a good UI.
Support & Community
Big companies like Netflix, Autodesk, Vmware, Trello, Philips, and Ice Rock are opting for KMM as its easily accessible & adaptable. So, Kotlin is already world-famous & contributors are putting efforts into making it a next-gen programming language. Also, developers are allowed to write Kotlin code in IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, or Xcode. Additionally, IntelliJ studio is also a JetBrains product. On top of that, the Android Studio is also built on JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA software. This is one of the biggest reasons behind great IDE support and tooling for Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile.
Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile can be an ideal software development kit and solve many common problems in the mobile development ecosystem. Having the same codebase between platforms becomes more efficient for the developers while giving you more control of the platform-specific technologies available in Android and iOS without being trapped in a cross-platform or hybrid framework.
Though KMM is still in beta, it will surely rule the mobile app development industry. In this growing development secretary, the one universal goal is to produce more products in less time with proper maintenance & testing & Kotlin multiplatform provides these advantages effortlessly.
If you are considering any cross-platform mobile app development service, connect with us with your specific requirements.
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