Kotlin has become a very popular programming language among programmers and has become a powerful language in the vast field of computer languages. The Kotlin language finds applications not only in Android development but also in server-side programming and other areas.
Because of its vast ecosystem of libraries, which streamline the development process and increase developer productivity, it is well-liked and widely adopted. We’ll look at the top 8 Kotlin libraries that will still be useful in 2024 in this article. Now let’s get going.
What is Kotlin?
Created with JetBrains Introduced in 2011 as a Java substitute, Kotlin is a contemporary programming language that works with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). When it first launched, Android Studio could utilize it as a plugin. Google officially announced it as the official language for Android development later in May 2017.
Beyond just Android development, Kotlin app development services are employed in many other software development fields, such as data science and analytics, desktop application development, and backend development. With seamless interchange with Java, Kotlin was introduced to answer several characteristics that were missing from other programming languages, especially Java.
2024’s Top 8 Kotlin Libraries You Should Know
1. Ktor
Web applications, HTTP services, and other connected systems can be constructed with Ktor, a potent asynchronous framework. Utilizing Kotlin’s succinct and expressive syntax, JetBrains—the same firm that created Kotlin itself—developed Ktor, a versatile framework for creating server-side apps.
Key Features
- A method for writing asynchronous, non-blocking code that enables programmers to achieve high concurrency.
- Because Ktor has a modular architecture, developers can integrate and modify just the components that are needed.
- Ktor employs a type-safe DSL for route definition, which simplifies the processing of HTTP requests and responses.
- Web sockets and server-sent events are included in Ktor to enable runtime and interactive web applications.
2. Coroutine
In Kotlin programming, coroutine has grown in importance. A coroutine is a framework for concurrently managing several threads. It gives programmers a means of writing asynchronous code sequentially. It makes asynchronous programming activities like database access, network queries, and lengthy user interface processes easier. Developers can create functions that can be stopped and resumed as needed thanks to its concurrency feature.
Key Features
- When necessary, the coroutine allows it to pause execution and wait for other code to finish running before continuing (using the await keyword to do so).
- The event loop, which manages the scheduling and execution of several coroutines, is where the coroutine operates. The orderly operation of the coroutine is guaranteed by this event loop.
- Coroutine is renowned for its effective resource management, including database connections and network sockets.
3. Room Database
Room is a persistence database library provided by the Jetpack Architecture Component. All that Room is is an abstraction layer over the open-source RDBMS SQLite database. Along with database CRUD activities, it streamlines the table creation process. If there is enough space, developers can migrate without difficulty should the database structure need to be altered in any way—for example, to add a new column or modify the data type of an existing column.
Key Features
- Using the room, developers can define annotations on Java/Kotlin classes and objects to work with SQLite databases. By mapping database tables with annotated classes and objects, it streamlines database processes.
- Room performs compile-time validation tests on queries to identify issues in the query compilation process.
- Additionally, Room Database is compatible with RxJava and Coroutine, enabling developers to carry out asynchronous actions using Coroutine and RxJava observer.
- Developers can easily link the Room database with LiveData. When it’s necessary to monitor database changes and alert the user interface, LiveData assistance can be utilized.
4. Koin
A lightweight framework for dependency injection, Koin was primarily created with Android development in mind. Developers may simply control dependency injections throughout the application, in contrast to Dagger. To handle dependencies and provide support for Android as well as other platforms like JVM and iOS, Koin offers DSL or domain-specific language.
Key Features
- Dependencies are expressed within Coin modules, which simplify dependency management. These modules may be built and simply set using DSL terminology.
- Koin resolves dependencies only at compile time by utilizing Kotlin’s DSL capabilities rather than code generation and reflection at runtime.
- Constructor injection is a feature of Coni that allows dependencies to be given in constructor arguments, encouraging the creation of more modular programs.
- Developers can get started with Coin’s detailed documentation, pre-made examples, and vibrant community of contributors.
5. Ktor-http-client
The robust HTTP client library ktor-http-client is built on top of Ktor. Developers may make asynchronous, fluid HTTP requests using Ktor-http-client, which supports features like HTTP cookies and request and response transformation.
Key Features
- HTTP request and response bodies are supported by Ktor-http-client, allowing users to convert them into custom formats like XML and JSON with ease.
- By reusing connections for repeated requests, Ktor-http optimizes resource utilization, automatically maintains the connection pool, and boosts performance.
6. Exposed
For database operations, Exposed is a lightweight SQL library for Kotlin. The Exposed library was created to utilize Kotlin features and offer an API that will make database access more straightforward and concise. To define the DB schema, query, and operation directly in the Kotlin code, it makes use of DSL. Developers can build code that is clear and easy to read by using these DSL techniques.
Key Features
- Kotlin’s type safety mechanism is utilized by Exposed to guarantee type safety in database queries. It represents database tables, columns, and query results using Kotlin.
- Instead of utilizing SQL DDL statements to define database schema, developers can use Kotlin code itself with Expsed. This implies that Kotlin classes and methods can be used to declare tables, columns, and constraints.
- Since Exposed is publicly hosted on Github and open-sourced, other developers are welcome to contribute improvements, features, and issue fixes.
- It is compatible with several SQL database backends, such as MySQL, H2, and SQLite.
7. Fuel
Fuel is a small HTTP networking library designed for Android and Kotlin. The purpose of Fuel is to make managing HTTP request calls and responses easier. Using its clear and expressive APIs, you may carry out HTTP operations like GET, PUT, POST, DELETE, and more. Developers can use Fuel to make both synchronous and asynchronous request calls. Developers can add unique features, interceptors, serializers, and authentication methods thanks to customization support.
Key Features
- Gives users a quick way to submit HTTP requests. gives developers a simple method to configure requests, headers, and contents
- Asynchronous and synchronous HTTP requests should be supported. It gives developers the option to send requests synchronously through blocking calls or asynchronously through Kotlin coroutines.
- Using a fluent API, developers may configure query parameters and headers for HTTP queries.
8. Arrow
A library of data types and type classes for functional programming in Kotlin is called Arrow. It was inspired by Haskell’s standard libraries. It makes functional programming paradigms in Kotlin, such as monads, functors, and applications, available to developers. Arrow offers type-sabe abstractions for asynchronous and concurrent programming, such as data types DeferredK and IO.
Key Features
- Functional data types supported by Arrow include SequenceK, ListK, NonEmptyList, Option, Either, Try, Validated, State, IO, and more.
- Type classes like Functor, MonadError, Applicative, Monad, Monoid, Foldable, Traverse, Semigroup, Ord, and others can be implemented using Arrow.
- Arrow provides tools for property-based testing via arrow-recursion and Kotlintest packages.
Conclusion
The kotlin libraries mentioned above address a variety of use cases and needs for Kotlin development, including dependency injections, mocking classes and objects, and web and backend services. Taking into account the libraries we utilized for our project improves the productivity and quality of the code. These libraries will probably still be necessary for Kotlin developers in 2024 and beyond as Kotlin’s popularity grows. This is it is suggested to Hire Kotlin app developers.