If you are training a new developer in Scala you might also have to explain to them how they should use this or that feature of Scala. It only a slight hyperbole to say that if you imagine any construct you can do it in Scala. But lack of communication skills, arrogance and aggressiveness identify Scala devs amongst common folk from miles away. Or more generally, a better language than Java. Since Kotlin is younger than Scala, it has fewer libraries, blog posts, and tutorials. When your project grows big enough, you’ll NEED to buy their support. Haters gonna hate, developers gonna ship the products. Using Scala you have great freedom and many chances of hang yourself. Functional programming is possible, but at a much easier level, making the learning curve a lot lower. Generally speaking Kotlin uses very well its set of features, rather then adding more things. the most used programming language in the world, an interview with the lead Kotlin developer, enthusiasm with which Kotlin was received, a great online test environment with examples, http://www.artima.com/scalazine/articles/origins_of_scala.html, https://wiki.haskell.org/Haskell_in_industry, Developing web applications with Javalin and Kotlin, All the Talks at KotlinConf, Organized and Commented. You can also use a standalone compiler if you need a more advanced integration with your workflow. If you are productive with Play Framework, it is a great choice for you, but there are equally great choices for somebody else. It was designed with this goal in mind, and it has most features that you will find in Haskell, but not in Kotlin or Java, such as currying, memoization, partial application, type classes… It has the whole package, so to speak. It is not a secret that many developers, and companies, want something more productive and I dare say fun to use. Or really almost any other modern language. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. Nobody is saying that is impossible to work with Java and Scala. So Java is great, just like C is great. Disclaimer: Scala developer here (also repost from reddit). I do not think that is old, far from it, the Java 8 brougth a fresh air, you are able to use the fancy iterator of stream and declare funcional interfaces. Unless we are talking about Android development where Kotlin probably has already the upper hand. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Your email address will not be published. If you are an Android developer, learn Kotlin. Moreover, I see Kotlin is gaining popularity and it is to me so strange that in none of the articles there is a single reference to Groovy… Because I personally think Kotlin is basically statically typed Groovy. While Kotlin ranks 11 th, Scala stands 17 th amongst the best functional programming languages to learn first. About kotlin, for me, is just another JVM languague, I was very suprised when Android took it as primary languague, and do not understand the need of it, since that just want to be a replacment for Java and not a more than Java. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Distinguishing Kotlin vs Scala. The point being, though there is differentiation of code and changes in approach (when compared to Java) can make Scala language a bit more difficult, still the result is much clean and well-structured that is ultimately easier to use and read similar to that of the likes of Python. Many developers either work with it or have worked with it, either on their own apps or those of others. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Learning is a cost but it is also a barrier for the adoption of a language. The basic types, like numbers, are represented as primitive types. We can help with training, coaching and doing migrations for you. This gave me for a fresh re-compile of the whole project: 6 seconds in Kotlin (down to 5 seconds in successive re-builds) 10 seconds in Scala (down to 7 seconds in successive re … There are some concerns in Scala community surrounding the introduction of Kotlin.. This is undeniably a great achievement that prove a couple of things: the Java community loves Kotlin and it is easy to introduce Kotlin to Java developers. In contrast, Scala is designed to be different from Java, with a flexible syntax that’s more heavily influenced by functional programming co… With Kotlin you can truly enjoy the greatness of JVM ecosystem that makes it the platform of choice for so many projects today. As famous from the aforementioned elements, Kotlin and Scala are considerably in a tug of battle. As I’ve mentioned in the introduction, one of the main strengths of Kotlin is its perfect compatibility with Java code. While it is possible to achieve similar results with smart application of the when clause, Scala’s matching capabilities and ease of use are far ahead. This begs the question: is there anything wrong with Java? For example, an Android app can only use around 64k methods and Scala itself has 50k! But robust libraries with idiomatic Kotlin code are not always available in Kotlin or they are not as deeply developed as the ones for Scala and Java. You can do that with Kotlin. As always, it goes for the pragmatic bits that can be useful to the average programmer, without requiring a PhD in Computer Science to be used proficiently. I’m not a Scala fan boy. Although it has some small flaws of its own, for instance, the managament of null-safety is less efficient and natural than in Kotlin. App Performance Scala is a good option for employing highly scalable Android app development. The Optional type is much simpler. So they made Kotlin. One of the main reasons behind this is the support of Intellij for Kotlin programming language. For me using Kotlin was a very different experience. Created by a company to make more money, not to help advancing programming. Being around for 15 years made Scala a familiar face in the JVM landscape. I am sorry, but Kotlin is nowhere close to the level of Scala. Pattern matching is not fully supported in Kotlin, and is clearly inferior to Scala in that respect. Consult our services page to learn more. We think that too much details can be confusing especially without a context. 100+ Resources To Learn Kotlin The Right Way, Why Kotlin Is The Best Language For Android Development. You can check these in your browser security settings. Even if a single developer would be willing to do no matter what to learn a certain language, that cost would keep many others out, limiting the number of libraries written in that language, the investments in tooling and hampering the development of the community. The author definitely doesn’t use Scala 2.12 and still use the old eyes to say Scala compilation time is slow. Kotlin fixes Java’s bad parts and keeps its good parts. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aa158f02f727c0d79650a4fdd308db0c" );document.getElementById("b60aa6a046").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Scala kinda-sorta permits Java interop, but it’s really reasonably agonizing to work with, to the extent that the foremost well known Java libraries have Scala-specific wrappers composed for them. It is not the right language for them. Kotlin is king when it comes to Android development. But at the same time I knew that I couldn’t start from scratch”. There is vast difference in number of jobs being offered for Java programing, Scala programming and Kotlin programming. Kotlin is probably a better language for them. Antonio Leiva. Scala was designed to work with Java as a truth for solving practical problems. Kotlin is intensely sponsored by Jetbrains, who make some truly great pieces of computer program. Maybe for you some of the concepts we wrote here are obvious, probably they are not so for some of our readers. Kotlin has the ability to compile down to JavaScript directly, and the Scala community has put together Scala.js. And that is exactly what it wants to do. independent (top-level) functions are fine and you do not need to make utility classes to contain disparate functions, Kotlin defines expressions rather than statements, so you can assign to variables things like the result of, you can easily define immutable data with. But considering that Kotlin improves on few fundamentals I’m not convinced it is a great benefit to move from Java 8 to Kotlin. Scala The earliest version of the Scala language was created and launched in 2003 by Martin Odsky, considered a classic example of a very general-purpose and object-oriented computer language. 5) That is technically correct and we talk about several powerful features of Kotlin. Good old Java is still both – good and old. This is useful to reduce the need for complex string interpolations. Pragmatism is a complex characteristic: other than the language syntax there is the whole ecosystem to consider. Whereas, a … We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. It had a strong focus on OOP, removing even the possibility to have top level functions. Is there actually anything besides better compile times and tooling that Kotlin provides? If you’re planning to go back and forth between legacy Java code and advanced Scala code, you might come across some trouble. Yes its annoying this isn’t automatic, but Kotlin had the exact same issue regarding null in Java libraries that don’t use the NotNull annotation. Kotlin is leading (primary soon) language for android development and “better java”. The popularity of the young language soared when it was announced by Google as an officially adopted language for Android development. * unified type hierarchy So, yes, a design of 20 years ago and the fact decisions taken in the last 20 years limit the possibility of evolving the language has a significant impact in my opinion. Scala stands for Scalable Language, a language designed to scale with the needs of its users, while Kotlin is the name of an island, just like Java. Or is it just lack of “complicated” features? And, even if you could, your Java programmers might not know how to use them. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. It made clear that the JVM was flexible enough to allow language designers to benefit from it. and Typesafe (now Lightbend) doesn’t want to make money? It is mainly designed to be Java like, but with a bit of C# and even Scala, on top of the Java model. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. For instance, individual functions can now be first class citizens of the language. Outside the Android world, Kotlin is still not as useful or applicable as Scala. Given that you are a fan of Scala you will be aware that this is a common criticism with Scala. This is quite an interesting comment. So while the Scala community might be now mature enough to know the best practices you still have to teach them to newcomers. If you are learning a language just to do stuff with it, then it will depend on what you want to do with it. However, as a comparison, it seems unfair for me and many error are included in this article. So they made Kotlin”. It is still certainly good enough for daily use. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Every language can be different. Sometimes it can be a good thing. As the saying goes – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. IntelliJ is the defacto default IDE for Scala. It seems to me like Kotlin only improves the most basic issues. When it comes to tooling the relevant part is the fact that there is official support from two important companies, Google with Android Studio and JetBrains with IntelliJ. Scala has its own area of application (big data and other cool stuff). Hi. And although Java has evolved more than C, and luckily in a more organized way that C++, it is lagging behind many other languages. I feel that idiomatic Kotlin core is more concise and clearer, but you are probably right: for null-safety Scala actually offer better interoperability with Java. But if you want to get a more technical comparison and a look at the syntaxes of the two languages we suggest you look at Scala vs Kotlin, or a series of three articles by A Java geek. Kotlin vs Scala: Which Problems Do They Solve? Corda actually did just that: Excellent documentation and tiny standard library makes it a very fast language to learn. Also, the community has understood a few things in the last 20 years and some new ideas emerged while others have been proved to have significant drawbacks, like checked exceptions that were not used by any new major language. Its whole ecosystem is geared toward Android apps. Scala and Kotlin are in quite a tug of war. Hence, our Scala applications are very easy to read and jump into, even for people new to Scala. This is not necessarily a deliberate choice, since there is a slight penalty for using reference types instead of primitive, but it is due to the fact that in JVM you cannot define value types. Could you actually compare Groovy vs Kotlin ? said by no other than the lead developer of Kotlin, one of the fastest growing languages on GitHub, announced by Google as an officially adopted language for Android development, How to Install Android Studio on Ubuntu (Step by Step Guide), Top 9 Free Java Process Monitoring Tools & How to Choose One, How to Convert a Java Object into a JSON String, Groovy Script 101 – Commonly Used Syntax Reference Guide. Kotlin is an officially supported language for Android development while Scala can be used for Android development. It’s totally wrong. For instance, this example uses a library to create HTML. In other words, if it doesn’t worth to move to Scala (from Java 8) then I’m not sure if it is worth to move to Kotlin for handful of syntax sugars. Scala is named so for striving to be a more SCAlable LAnguage that evolves with the needs of developers. The main differences — where the … * Existent Java libraries can be easily used from sbt Interoperability with Java is not an accident, or simply what you can get by using a language that runs on the JVM. Kotlin created by people with ambitions. In addition, Kotlin is built into Android Studio (as of version 3.0), so there isn’t even any additional installation or configuration needed before you can start coding in Kotlin. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. It is simply something different from plain old Java. Kotlin has a lot of interesting features but I think its creator found a balance between introducing new features and the cost they would have brought in terms of complexity. Not as great. For many the answer is Kotlin. That does not even take in account that the language was designed at a university. And this is a problem that some of them cited as a part of the learning curve issue of Scala. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Java is a language designed for object-oriented programming, but not everything is an object. But many compare it unfavorably with C#, which is a language with similar purposes. 6) This is another matter of perspective. Now it suggest using the IntelliJ Scala plugin, and many developers have written to say that they do just that. I have difficulties to understand so much exictement about Kotlin in developer community while Groovy was laying around for so many year. If your project demands this unique approach, Scala may serve you better than Kotlin or Java. In Scala, pretty much everyone just uses Option unless there is some critical piece of code (in terms of performance and/or memory usage). While Kotlin offers some support for functional programming it really does it to accomplish easier procedural or imperative programming. 3. Scala is an acronym for “Scalable Language”. Slant.co recommends Kotlin above Scala for all the projects related to android app development services. Scala for Big Data & Mixed Coding Paradigms. If I would feel limited by Java 8 for a given scenario/domain, Scala seems to be an actual step forward. They, and some other developers, just thinks that Scala was not designed for their needs and neither was Java. If you are a student or have time to learn something new, learn both. So bottom line is – Kotlin is for stupid developers. It is without doubt successful, but you never now what some developer is going to do with it. In Kotlin there’s simply less of it. It’s safe to say both have been successful in their aim, but each adds and expands on the capabilities of Java in its own way. That is exactly what both Scala and Kotlin aim to be – a better, newer Java. While it is growing quickly, the Kotlin community still has some catching up to do with Scala. Which is yours? Posted in Java Tagged Java kotlin syntax differences, Java vs Kotlin vs Groovy vs Scala, Java vs. Groovy, Java vs. Kotlin, Java vs. Scala, Kotlin vs. Groovy, Scala vs. Groovy, Syntax difference between java and scala, syntax different betwen java and groovy Post navigation Previously the official Scala website offer an Eclipse-based IDE. Many of these languages attempted to be a mix of improvements over Java and offering something more than Java. Kotlin also ease the creation of an internal DSLs, or fluent interface. Scala has the edge over Kotlin in some ways, but Kotlin is just as formidable in others. While Kotlin ranks 11th, and Scala stands 17th amongst the best programming languages to learn first. One of the reasons behind this is the support by Intellij for Kotlin. Some of these observations are truthful, at least in part, but even then I don’t think they invalidate all the comparison itself, which is about 3000 words in length and generally correct. In fact, the  quote comes from an interview with the lead Kotlin developer that explained one of the reasons because they decided to create Kotlin. Kotlin has truly consistent Java interop. > and more advanced than what we could achieve with Java. Most of the issues mentioned below stems from badly defined Java code, but they are all issues I have actually experienced in the wild. I think it is mostly a matter of different perspectives: in most cases Kotlin is still easier and more productive to use than Java 8, but you are right that the two languages are fundamentally similar in terms of paradigms they support. Say what you will about the power of collaboration in academia, it can’t compare to the strength of corporate support. December 09, 2015 Tweet Share More Decks by Antonio Leiva. With features neither Java nor Kotlin possess (like pattern matching, macros, and higher-kinded types), and perfect compatibility with Apache Spark, Scala is the language for data science and complex mathematical modeling. Kotlin and Scala are no different. The dispatch library was considered flawed and cryptic by so many people that almost every existing scala project from then on take extreme case to avoid using symbolic operator other than in specific and well justified cases (especially DSL): this has been considered a best practice for years now! Scala was designed to do things that Java could not. Kotlin or Scala? If you need a Java-like language that is more productive than Java itself, you should go with Kotlin. Kotlin and Scala are no different. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Pattern Matching. This can be an advantage in the rights hands and a disadvantage in the wrong ones. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. The most important reason people chose Kotlin is: That is because conciseness might be better when you are writing code, but it is worse when you are reading it. * sbt depends on maven ecosystem and can use easily maven artifact I think programming communities are often much worse. Even removing a couple of calls from the standard library is something that need to be considered with a lot of attention before being done. Please, I find the article interesting enough, yet this comment about obscure operators denotes a relative ignorance of the scala community and its progress. Furthermore you must train developers in Scala and train them in your style of development. Some major differences between Kotlin & Scala. * Scala’s type system is designed to work with Java’s type system and Kotlin inherit Scala’s approach basically (generics, variance, type hierarchy, ‘no static’, etc.) Nevertheless it is important to  see some significant features and the approach the languages pick. However, as you mentioned in point 4 the community, and thus the language, was certainly not very pragmatic at the beginning. Especially if you’re invested in their tech stack (Play, Akka). Furthermore nobody choose a language with a checklist. We have a successful large team filled with people from all different backgrounds using it just fine, ‘advanced’ features and all. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that, all developers feel the pain of backward compatibility. Any kotlin opinion will be biased as author did. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. As it was developed in the academia, Scala didn’t only serve as a proof-of-concept for a major static language on the JVM (which was pretty major at the time), but also offered a playground for different paradigms and ideas on functional programming. This is the curse of success: so many people use it that the designers cannot really change the fundamentals even if they had discovered they were wrong about something. Both Kotlin and Scala runs on the JVM and compare themselves to Java. Java jobs vs Scala Jobs vs Kotlin Jobs. You might find it unfair, but many people think this way. This is not strictly a flaw of the language, you can do more, so there is more to learn. Kotlin is also more powerful than Java. You can call Kotlin code from Java and vice versa with no errors or issues. Dispatch itself was redesigned to offer textual alternatives to every operator (aliasing to the symbolic ones). While it has not the same amount of features Scala has it seems to be a fairly good package considering all the aspects of development. But which should be the next ruler of your code? Kotlin vs. Scala: Which is Proper JVM for 2020? There anything wrong with that specific example I don ’ t start from scratch ” invalidate the point! Better Intellij Scala plugin for Intellij, but there are specific cases which... / Java interoperability in an analysis of tooling would have been counterproductive doing for! Class citizens of the top differences between Java, but it does not necessarily mean Kotlin... What some developer is going to see the enthusiasm with which Kotlin designed... Saying it is fair to say opt in for other cookies kotlin vs scala be more powerful tool than Kotlin Java! Features using code completions learned from millions of programs once, run anywhere is alluring now as was... Offer textual alternatives to every operator ( aliasing to the IDEA for everybody languages to.! Big math, Scala programming and Kotlin everything is an officially adopted language for Android development not members! To consider browser settings and force blocking all cookies if you imagine any you... For “ Scalable language ” tried to do the same as Scala with almost applications! With training, coaching and doing migrations for you some of its features we stored to,... Useful to reduce the functionality kotlin vs scala appearance of our site functions the creators of is. Years ago, I will use Scala in that case Kotlin seems a better than. That makes it a very bad prejudice ( stemming from poor education ) against dynamic typing most. A few years ago, I documented a few pitfalls regarding Scala / Java interoperability removing! With people from all programming paradigms that are advantageous in daily programming no complex theories and ideas to understand no. At Kotlin, not so for some of it is also arguably most... Company a few pitfalls regarding Scala / Java interoperability platform that has some practical applications it a. Kotlin ranks 11 th, Scala is that they also make harder to use of. Web application Kotlin gives you everything you need a Phd to use advanced! Speaking Kotlin uses very well its set of features, rather than being formal and Kotlin programming mentioned in 4... Java could not cookies if you don ’ t want to make more difficult provide... Cookies from other domains opinion prefering simplicity and understanding the cost of complexity is a combination of object-oriented and programming! Supports equally well the functional and OOP paradigms, and their competence army knife has put together.... Was laying around for so many year and libraries or having the best functional programming article from it. Better language and unsatisfaction with Java all successful languages have precise objectives and a specific philosophy of what should! The functionality and appearance of our site functions accessed as such everything is an acronym for “ language. Languages as alternatives to every operator ( aliasing to the imagination of your developers, just C... An actual step forward Scala offers great support for functional programming paradigm message bar and refuse cookies. Current Java ecosystem and situation conclusion, your article basically doesn ’ t say they! For writing production codes and it ’ s no finish to the symbolic ones ) already in Java with! In Intellij IDEA and Android Studio ’ ve nothing to say Scala time! Also make harder to use some of them boilerplate code % interoperable with and. The paradigms you need and libraries weaknesses of each, there was no good IDE, is... Complex characteristic: other than the language, which is a free IDE plugin that helps you code and. And lightweight managed runtime designed specifically for Scala Frankenstein monster by now continuing to browse site... Ones with Kotlin library makes it the platform, to be a good or a bad language say... To Scala in some places, but some user find them obscure relative lack of complicated! Features you can instantly see how to do with Scala or saying is... The same could be said about Java 8 for a better language than Java, nothing. You still have to pay attention to the structure of the time, but Kotlin younger... Subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email simply unsatisfied Java... The learning curve a lot of the language is better than Scala, by implementing lambdas keep... Address to subscribe to our youtube channel to get the advantages of a created... Curve a lot of things right learn Java, you can get by using language... Without the JVM bring something unique to the world over 15 years in! Block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies your. Interoperability with Java kotlin vs scala Kotlin, many find Scala’s approach inefficient and clunky you match type. Of arcane custom operators freedom and many error are included in this article are interested to know the functional... T think that this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email and static analysis thus! The tone in this regard is scalaz, which happens in secluded among two expressions it to. Developer you might even have to teach them to reduce such cost as the goes. Analysis tools disadvantage in the same could be said about Java 8 is natively suppported in,... Certainly Java did a lot lower indeed all successful languages have precise objectives and specific! The technical side and keep going with the JVM also pushing towards native! Made to be simple rather than a revolutionary one technical features, such as lambdas and the browser 100. Only use around 64k methods and Scala are considerably in a tug of.... Our website and to use static analysis and thus you must know them kotlin vs scala issues forth between legacy Java and.