Kotlin Vs Swift | 10 Most Valuable Differences You Should Know
Both Kotlin and Swift are the preferred languages for Android and Swift developers respectively. The battle for supremacy between these two languages has been going on for the last few years. Like Android and iOS, people debate Kotlin vs Swift to find out which one is better.
Kotlin was developed by the Jet Brains team in 2011 as an Android mobile development language. Swift, on the other hand, was developed by Apple in 2014. Both languages offer modern technologies and are easy to work around.
Developers were involved with Java before the advent of Kotlin or Swift. Since Java was much more complex, the introduction of these new languages gained great acceptance from most developers.
In this article, we have listed the 10 most relevant differences that are important to know.
Kotlin
Android developers used Java as their chosen language as it was user-friendly and helped to increase productivity. New functions and libraries gave developers the ability to manage their time well. However, as technology progressed, Java could not match the speed it required. Kotlin was made the official language for Android in 2017 by Google and starts making its name by then.
In order to use Kotlin properly, developers also need to have an understanding of Java. Kotlin is sophisticated in terms of its functions and libraries. The coding in Kotlin is also very simple which is a big step up as compared to Java. Kotlin’s productivity tools were the reason why people started comparing Kotlin to Swift.
Be it Kotlin or Swift, there are some similarities between the two; however, the differences outweigh them. Kotlin is mostly considered a copy of Swift, although Swift was introduced a few years after Kotlin. The allegations are mostly based on some similarities between the two languages.
In terms of difficulty, Kotlin is certainly easier than Java which had many restrictions such as mandatory use of semicolons. While Kotlin does not require the use of semicolons – it is completely optional. Furthermore, the newline character marks the end of the statement in Kotlin which is also different from Java.
Swift
Swift is developed by Apple and is the most preferred language for developers. Swift programming language is used to develop iOS applications, TV applications, mac OS applications, and watch OS. Swift works like a general-purpose language that is object-oriented and has a block structure. Swift has been developed keeping in mind the difficulties faced in Objective C.
When you are working on Swift, you need to ensure code compatibility as your written code will be compatible with a desktop, server, phone, and every other device capable of executing the code.
It is the language preferred by most developers as programmers can depend on Swift to make coding easy and efficient. Since it uses a modern programming approach, it is generally easy to use and efficient.
Programmers value predefined methods that help structure logic. Swift provides a huge library of such predefined methods. Thanks to the library, writing code is not as difficult as it used to be. Furthermore, code maintenance is easy in Swift as well.
Swift does not follow the old programming patterns and large classes because they were more error-prone. Some new trendy patterns include:
– Variables are initialized after the program is started.
– Memory management in Swift is not a hassle. It uses automatic reference for memory management which helps the programmer avoid writing excessive lines for the same purpose.
Swift has easy error handling which means that any unexpected errors that arise are handled effectively and efficiently by the programmer.
Let’s look at the key differences between Kotlin and Swift and find out what sets them apart.
Kotlin vs Swift – How are they different?
1. Development
In terms of development, Kotlin is used as the programming language for Android while Swift is used as the programming language for iOS app development. Both these languages are extremely popular due to their ease of use, overall user experience, and efficiency in coding.
The syntax for both is easy to follow and the code is simple to write as it uses modern technologies. Even though both these languages are exclusive to Android and iOS, it is possible to use them for different platforms. Developers use Kotlin Native for hybrid development. So, Kotlin can be used for the platforms that enable bytecode.
On the other hand, Swift can also be used for the Android platform. Developers can run apps on android OS using the swift compiler. For this to work, you need a framework that has a compatible UI for the application.
2. Data Class
Data class presents a major difference when we talk about Swift vs Kotlin. In Kotlin, a data class exists whereas in Swift there is no data class. These data classes are used by developers as a way of holding data.
Standard functionalities and utility functions are also handled automatically by these classes. Fairness and replication can be implemented through data classes in Kotlin and developers often use it.
3. Implementation of Function
In terms of function implementation, Kotlin and Swift are somewhat similar – but not identical. Some differences exist in function implementations because Kotlin does not use an underscore (_) in variables as a prefix; However, Swift does.
In addition, there is another difference in prefix usage. Kotlin uses the $ sign as a prefix with the name of the variable to return the argument. On the other hand, swift uses forward slashes and brackets in place of $.
4. Default Class
For additional features, swift allows extensions. Whereas, in Kotlin altering or adding anything in the code as a default feature is not allowed. In this case, swift outshines kotlin as developers get more options in terms of extensions.
5. Error Handling
The error is indicated in a specific way for both languages. Although the function of error handling is the same, the keywords are different. For Kotlin, an error is indicated via null and Swift uses null to do so.
6. Enums
Enums or enumerations are symbolic names for a set of values. The enum list has name ranges. Enums are treated as data types and are used to create a set of constants that work with variables and properties.
Kotlin does not support an enum list which is a drawback. During coding, developers may face problems due to a lack of Enums pattern. Swift contains enums that allow developers to enumerate properties and other similar values.
7. Structs
Structs are also completely different for Kotlin and Swift but first, we need to understand what are structs. Structures represent values or references that help developers easily group a list of variables under a single name. When developers modify data through a struct, the modification occurs only on the chosen variable.
For data classes, structs are ideal because they do not allow inheritance. Kotlin has similar functions to Java, so there are no specific struct types. Basic types are passed by values such as int, float, and boolean, while others are passed by preference.
Swift is one step ahead when it comes to structs. It gives the freedom to the developers to choose any structure they like as per their choice.
8. Memory Management
Kotlin uses Garbage Collection Approach (GCA) and Swift uses Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) for memory management. Of the two, Swift has better memory management technology as ARC is more accurate and very reliable as compared to GCA.
9. Annotations
Developers use annotations to add metadata to app code. In Swift, annotations are not supported. On the other hand, Kotlin supports varieties of annotations that help in the development of applications.
10. Tuples
Tuples are ordered list that is used to store a series of objects in a single variable. Tuples can store objects of different types.
Consider the following example:
[” Tara”, 28 , “Mumbai”]
In this example, we see a tuple that stores the data of an employee that includes name, age, and location. In the same way as languages, tuples combine a series of data with multiple parts. Tuple’s sole purpose is to help developers understand the relationships between different components. Now let’s talk about Tuples in Swift and Kotlin.
Kotlin has no tuples facility similar to Java. However, Swift allows the use of tuples for inlining interfaces.
Read Also: WHY DO WE NEED PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS?
Wrapping Up
Every year the tech industry gets a huge boost and it only keeps getting better. Innovative solutions drive change in the market. Kotlin and Swift are the dominant languages for Android and iOS respectively, so their comparison makes sense.
It is also important to stay up-to-date with the latest updates in these two languages as they keep on growing. Based on syntax alone, these languages may be somewhat similar. Some features are good in Kotlin whereas some are good in Swift.
The sole purpose of this work was to identify the difference between these two languages. You can easily choose the language that suits you best and is more convenient as a programmer.