General Purpose Languages

Kotlin

Kotlin is a statically typed programming language created by JetBrains, designed to interoperate fully with Java while addressing its verbosity and null-safety issues. It is distinct from Java through features like extension functions, data classes, and coroutines for asynchronous programming, making it popular for Android development at companies like Google, Pinterest, and Trello. A concrete technical detail is its use of smart casts, which automatically cast types after null checks, reducing boilerplate code. It also supports multiplatform projects, allowing code sharing between JVM, JavaScript, and native targets.

Also known as: kt

🧊Why learn Kotlin?

Use Kotlin when building Android applications or modern JVM-based systems where improved developer productivity and null safety are priorities, as seen in Spring Boot microservices at Netflix. It is not the right pick for legacy Java projects with strict compatibility requirements or environments where tooling support is limited, such as some embedded systems. An honest weakness is its slower compilation speed compared to Java in large codebases, a trade-off acknowledged by the Kotlin community for its advanced features.

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Alternatives to Kotlin

Java Swift Scala

Other General Purpose Languages

8051 Assembly is a low-level programming language used to write code for the Intel 8051 microcontroller and its derivatives, which are widely used in embedded systems. It provides direct control over hardware resources like registers, memory, and I/O ports, enabling efficient and time-critical operations. This language is essential for developing firmware in applications such as automotive electronics, industrial automation, and consumer devices.

ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) is a high-level programming language created by SAP for developing business applications within the SAP ecosystem. It is primarily used for customizing and extending SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, enabling developers to build reports, interfaces, forms, and workflows. ABAP runs on the SAP NetWeaver Application Server and integrates tightly with SAP's database and business logic layers.

ActionScript is an object-oriented programming language originally developed by Macromedia (later acquired by Adobe) for creating interactive content, animations, and applications primarily for the Adobe Flash platform. It is based on ECMAScript, sharing syntax similarities with JavaScript, and was widely used for web-based games, multimedia presentations, and rich internet applications (RIAs). While its usage has declined with the deprecation of Flash, it remains relevant for maintaining legacy Flash content and in niche areas like Adobe AIR for desktop and mobile apps.

ActionScript is an object-oriented programming language originally developed by Macromedia (now Adobe) for creating interactive content, animations, and applications primarily for Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR platforms. It is based on ECMAScript, sharing syntax similarities with JavaScript, and was widely used for web-based games, multimedia presentations, and rich internet applications (RIAs).

ActionScript 3 (AS3) is an object-oriented programming language primarily used for developing rich internet applications, games, and animations on the Adobe Flash Platform. It is based on ECMAScript (the same standard as JavaScript) and provides enhanced performance, a more robust class-based inheritance system, and better support for large-scale applications compared to its predecessor, ActionScript 2. AS3 is compiled to bytecode that runs in the Adobe Flash Player or Adobe AIR runtime environments.

Ada is a high-level, statically typed, object-oriented programming language designed for large-scale, long-lived, and safety-critical systems, particularly in aerospace, defense, and transportation industries. It emphasizes reliability, maintainability, and efficiency, with built-in support for concurrency, real-time processing, and strong type checking to prevent runtime errors. Originally developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, it is standardized by ISO and ANSI, with Ada 2012 and Ada 2022 being the latest revisions.