In May 2017, Google recognized the potential of Kotlin in the mobile developer community and
made it an official language for Android development. As a result, talented developers in the
Kotlin community used this robust programming language to build inspiring tools and
open-source projects. This can be seen in the
, where developers have contributed
extensively.
This article will showcase some of our Kotlin
Google Developer Experts (GDEs) who have made significant contributions to the Google Dev
Library. We hope these projects will inspire and guide your development efforts.
Contributors in Spotlight
:
Nicola contributed
Detekt to Google Dev Library, which is a static code analysis
tool for Kotlin projects that helps developers detect and report on issues related to
security, style, and best practices. It can be used to identify potential vulnerabilities,
enforce coding standards, and improve code quality.
How did
you get started in Kotlin? Is there any particular project that inspired you?
I began working with Kotlin in its early days of 2015. Though the
experience was rocky, the ability to code Android apps in Kotlin rather than Java was a
game-changer. At the time, it was challenging to convince my colleagues to switch due to the
Java-dominant community. However, the official announcement of Kotlin support at Google I/O
2017 was a defining moment for the language. I am grateful for the ongoing support and
development of such a powerful and versatile language, as well as the dedicated community that
supports it daily.
I am grateful for the ongoing support and development of such a powerful and versatile
language, and the dedicated community that supports it
daily. - Nicola Corti, GDE
Kotlin
What inspired you to inherit the Detekt project ?
Detekt, a static code analyzer tool, is not a creation of mine, but rather a project that I
inherited from a friend who sought support in managing it. I have always been impressed by the
capabilities of static code analyzers, particularly in terms of their ability to detect bugs
and save developer time. At the time, the market for Kotlin static analyzers was relatively
new, making Detekt a valuable addition to the toolkits of many Kotlin developers.
As a Kotlin GDE, what is the one piece of advice for someone who has
just started as a Kotlin developer?I highly
recommend getting involved in the open-source community. My contributions to open-source
projects have taught me invaluable skills and knowledge that I wouldn't have gained otherwise.
Additionally, I have had the opportunity to connect with incredible contributors who have
since become friends. Participating in open-source not only benefits yourself, but also the
wider developer community.
John created the PeopleInSpace project, and shared it with Google Dev Library. The
project utilizes the OpenNotify API to display information about people currently in space,
such as their names, nationalities, and spacecraft. The focus of the project is more about
demonstrating use of Kotlin Multiplatform.
How did you get started in
Kotlin? Is there any particular project that inspired you?
In 2010, I began my career as an Android
developer, utilizing Java as my primary programming language. As a Java backend developer for
the previous decade, the transition was relatively seamless. However, it wasn't until the
official announcement of Kotlin support at Google I/O 2017, that I fully realized the
potential impact of this new programming language. Gradually, as my team and I started
migrating to Kotlin, I came to appreciate how productive and expressive a language it was to
use.
As
my team and I started migrating to Kotlin, I came to appreciate how
productive and expressive a language it was to
use. - John O'Reilly, GDE
Kotlin
What inspired you to develop and open source the Peopleinspace project?
In 2018, I was introduced to Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) and was
immediately impressed by its practical and efficient approach to code sharing. At the time,
there was still a lot of uncertainty and confusion surrounding KMP, and I saw a need for a
simple, easy-to-understand sample project that could demonstrate the basics of KMP.
I had an existing open-source project, GalwayBus, which I initially used to
experiment with KMP, Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI as they became available. However, this
project had a significant amount of legacy code and was not ideal for showcasing the
essentials of KMP.
In late 2019, I came across an article by Ken Kousen
that included sample code using retrofit to retrieve a list of people in space. I realized
that this could be the perfect foundation for the minimal project I had been envisioning. So,
I created PeopleInSpace, a project designed to encapsulate the core elements of a KMP project,
and provide a clear and concise demonstration of how the various components work
together.
As a Kotlin GDE, what is the one piece of advice for
someone who has just started as a Kotlin developer?
Kotlin is
a powerful language that offers many advanced features; however, it is possible to be very
productive when starting out without needing to use those, in many cases, there are simpler
alternatives that can be used, and as you become more familiar with the language, you can
gradually explore and implement the more advanced options.
Join the global community of Kotlin developers and share your open source
projects or technical blogs on Dev Library. To contribute,
submit your content here.
How to learn Kotlin: JetBrains, the company
behind the Kotlin language, offers certificate courses and learning tools for developers and
has an active user groups forum where developers get support with programming language-related
issues.
