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Introduction
Multiple languages, tools, and frameworks are available to create applications for different platforms. Mastering all these is a big task.
You must have thought sometime that making a single language or framework could make things easier. This ‘universal’ framework would work on different platforms. Well, Kotlin Multiplatform does just that.
Kotlin Multiplatform
The Kotlin Multiplatform Technology helps create applications that run on different platforms. It saves time and resources.
As the application’s basic functionality is the same for all the platforms, it will be easy to maintain one codebase. If we use platform-specific methods, the maintenance work will increase.
Kotlin Multiplatform offers methods so developers can use the same code for different platforms. It gives a platform-independent nature and keeps the benefits and flexibility of having a native programming language.
Kotlin Multiplatform Use Cases
Let us look into some of the use cases for a better understanding of Kotlin Multiplatform:
Android and IOS Applications
When creating applications with Kotlin Multiplatform, we can share the code for main business logic, connectivity, etc., with different platforms.
With Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile, we can create applications that can be used on both IOS and Android with the same code.
Full Stack Web Applications
Kotlin Multiplatform can also be used to create Full-Stack web applications. Developers can reuse Server and Client side logic using Kotlin Multiplatform. This makes the application more available across different platforms.
Multiplatform Libraries
Kotlin Multiplatforms is very useful for library authors. Writers can create a library with support for multiple platforms that share code. These libraries would also have platform-specific implementations for JS, JVM, and Native Platforms. After a library is published, developers can use it as a dependency in other cross-platform projects.
Common Code for Mobile and Web Applications
Kotlin Multiplatform shares the same code for Android, IOS, and Web Applications. It lessens the amount of business logic that has to be implemented by the front-end developer.
The cross-platform nature helps implement the project efficiently and reduces the steps in coding and testing. Kotlin Multiplatform also lowers the maintenance steps.
Working of Kotlin Multiplatform
Common Kotlin has the language, basic tools, and libraries. The code written in Kotlin works on all platforms.
Kotlin Multiplatform Logic can be used to write common code that is platform specific. Platform-specific versions of Kotlin, such as Kotlin/JVM, include Kotlin language extensions and tools and libraries for platforms.
Code Sharing Between Platforms
Kotlin Multiplatform helps share the code for the same logic across different platforms.
The code can be shared across platforms present in the project, and the everyday business logic can be shared.
This is most useful when the same code is used many times on different platforms.
Platform-specific APIs from the shared code can be used from available Kotlin methods.
Leading Platforms that Utilize Kotlin
Kotlin Multiplatform helps tech giants like Netflix improve product reliability and delivery speed.
The chalk.com UI is platform specific, but their apps can be shared via Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile.
Kotlin Multiplatform is used by IceRock to create apps for its clients.
Top multinational companies, such as Philips, VMWare, Baidu, etc., use Kotlin Multiplatform.
What are some standard fields where Kotlin Multiplatform can be used?
Kotlin Multiplatform can be used in app and web development for platforms like IOS, Android, and macOS.
What is the main advantage of Kotlin Multiplatform?
Kotlin Multiplatform helps in writing platform-independent code, which increases cross-platform accessibility and reduces maintenance efforts.
What are some popular technologies that are used in app development?
Other than Kotlin, Flutter, Python, Java, R Programming Language, etc., are some popular technologies used in app development.
Can we share the same code on Kotlin Multiplatform?
Code can be shared across various platforms present in the project. Doing this can also share some of the core business logic.
What are some organizations where Kotlin Multiplatform is used?
Top multinational companies, such as Philips, VMWare, Baidu, etc., use Kotlin Multiplatform. Netflix also uses Kotlin Multiplatform to provide optimal user experience to its customers.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed what Kotlin Multiplatform is and some of its use cases. We also saw some of the advantages and functionalities that Kotlin Multiplatform offers.