Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile Alpha — Android Studio plugin, iOS integration

Q: How much does it cost to build a Kotlin-based Android app?

The costs of developing a Kotlin-based Android app depend on several factors. Design complexity, development time, type of features, etc. play an important role in calculating the costs. We build impeccable Kotlin apps at a competitive price.

The demands and popularity of cross-platform mobile are on the rise. As businesses expand their digital presence, a mobile-first approach has emerged as a growing trend. With the release of the Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM), this trend is likely to get a tech boost. KMM is a software development kit that lets you use the same business logic code for both iOS and Android app development.

Kotlin has released the alpha version of KMM. The SDK includes a new KMM plugin for Android Studio. This plugin enables you to write, run, test, and debug the shared code in the same IDE. Kotlin’s new SDK is likely to change the way you approach cross-platform app development and other areas of coding.

Key Features of Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile

Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile is an SDK for building cross-platform mobile apps. It has been developed by JetBrains. KMM utilized various multiplatform capabilities of the Kotlin programming language. It has been designed to provide a seamless cross-platform app development experience to app developers.

Similar Business Logic for Android & iOS

The Android and iOS versions of the SDK have striking similarities. Their business logic features like data management and analytics are almost identical. However, they differ greatly in terms of UI. For instance, they have different scrolling behavior and navigation logic. This makes it easy to share these parts of the platform across iOS and Android.

KMM enables, among other things, to utilize the flexibility and power of writing native code in Kotlin. Using a single codebase, you can create business logic for both iOS and Android versions of an app.

Seamless Integration

Besides, you can smoothly integrate KMM into your mobile app development project. KMM provides you with a shared Kotlin code compiled to the JVM bytecode with Kotlin/JVM. It also has native binaries that let you use KMM business logic modules like any other mobile library.

Advantages of Using Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile

JetBrains has a separate team for KMM to ensure that developers get the best experience in the cross-platform app projects. The developers of Kotlin have provided a preview of the KMM plugin for Android Studio along with the KMM developer portal.

Familiar Environment for Kotlin Developers

The KMM plugin lets you write, test, and debug shared code for both iOS and Android. You can use the shared code in Android Studio without switching to other development environments. Install the plugin by selecting Preferences> Plugins and search for the Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile plugin in the Marketplace.

The KMM platform enables you to configure mobile apps with a shared codebase in just a few clicks. You just need to select the run configuration by clicking the “Run” button. The new project will offer examples of how to connect to platform-specific API and how to test your code. Besides, you can easily integrate the KMM platform into your existing app development projects.

One IDE for both Android and iOS

With KMM in place, you don’t have to switch IDEs anymore. The KMM plugin enables you to integrate with your iOS device and simulator directly using the Android Studio. This endows several useful capabilities. You can run and debug the iOS app on the simulator or a device, and run common and iOS-specific tests, among other things.

Smoothly Integrate with the iOS Ecosystem

KMM provides efficient integration with the iOS app development process. The SDK leverages Kotlin’s native interoperability with Objective-C/Swift. It also relies on integration with the CocoaPods dependency manager and Kotlin’s ability to use platform-specific APIs.

With Kotlin/Native, you get bidirectional interoperability with Objective-C/Swift. You can also use Objective-C frameworks and libraries in the Kotlin code. KMM also enables you to use Swift libraries if you export the API to Objective-C. And that’s not all. The CocoaPods dependency manager enables you to add dependencies on Pod libraries. You can manage Pod dependencies directly in Android Studio.

Get Better at Multiplatform App Development

KMM is designed to offer developers an incredibly user-friendly coding experience. The new KMM Developer Portal makes your multiplatform development journey easier. A dedicated documentation section provides you with a trusted resource. It everything needed for your multiplatform project, from tutorials to get started to guidance for advanced development. It also has information about tasks like organizing networking, and data storage layers, among others.

Wrapping up

With all these features and capabilities, you can start using KMM to share business logic code. Keep in mind that the SDK is in Alpha. That means the platform will be further improved in terms of its capabilities and robustness. To build cross-platform apps using the SDK, you can either create a new project or integrate it into an existing one. As the Kotlin community rapidly grows worldwide, more innovative features are likely to come soon.

At Android Developer, we have a team of enthusiastic developers dedicated to building Kotlin-based apps. With the launch of this KMM platform, our cross-platform app development process will get a significant revamp. Being a tech-driven mobile app development company, we are committed to using the best and most advanced app development tools out there.

FAQs

Q. What is cross-platform mobile app development?

Cross-platform mobile development is the creation of apps that are compatible with multiple mobile operating systems, such as Android and iOS. Developers write the core of the application as an HTML5 or JavaScript mobile app and then make the necessary coding for different platforms.

Q. How much does it cost to build a Kotlin-based Android app?

The costs of developing a Kotlin-based Android app depend on several factors. Design complexity, development time, type of features, etc. play an important role in calculating the costs. We build impeccable Kotlin apps at a competitive price.

Q. What is interoperability programming?

The interoperability of programming languages is the ability for two or more languages to interact as part of the same system. This means passing messages and data between potentially very different languages.

Q. Is Kotlin better than Java?

Kotlin adds many advanced features to mobile app development, compiling the code to JavaScript or native. It enables developers to build code that can run both on Android and iOS. Kotlin is a statically typed and open-source language. Its built-in null safety support makes apps flawless and user friendly.