JetBrains s.r.o., a leading provider of software development tools, has officially released Kotlin 2.0, a significant update to the popular programming language used for Android and multiplatform development. Announced at KotlinConf 2024, this new version introduces a completely rewritten architecture, promising substantial performance improvements and increased developer productivity.
According to JetBrains, projects compiled on the new K2 architecture experience up to twice the speed compared to the previous version, Kotlin 1.9.20. Egor Tolstoy, the Kotlin project lead at JetBrains, emphasized that Kotlin 2.0 will make it easier to evolve the language, allowing for faster and more consistent introduction of new features across different platforms.
As of May 2019, Kotlin has been Google’s preferred programming language for Android, powering a wide range of mobile and laptop devices. Since its inclusion in Android Studio 3.0 in 2017, Kotlin has offered a robust alternative to Java, integrating seamlessly to compile into JavaScript for web applications or native code for iOS apps.
The release saw over 15,000 developers, including teams from Meta Platforms Inc., participate in its preview, with many already migrating their codebases to the new version. JetBrains assures developers that it’s now safe to start transitioning to Kotlin 2.0.
Kotlin 2.0 also brings enhancements to Kotlin Multiplatform, which facilitates code reuse across different operating systems. JetBrains has introduced an all-in-one tool built on the Fleet platform, currently in preview. Fleet is designed to be a lightweight development environment with a streamlined user interface, enabling quick project setup.
Notably, the new multiplatform features include full understanding of Xcode projects and comprehensive support for the Swift programming language. This includes experimental Swift export capabilities for iOS, ensuring that iOS developers receive full support from the code editor, complete with inspections, navigation, and refactoring across languages.
Additionally, JetBrains is releasing an open-source Kotlin dataset alongside the 7B Kotlin Language Model. This initiative is aimed at supporting the development of large language models and AI-driven code generation tools, enhancing the quality of Kotlin code. Researchers and developers can now experiment with this dataset and model, fostering innovation and improvement in AI applications related to Kotlin.
Kotlin 2.0 marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the programming language, providing developers with powerful new tools and capabilities to create high-quality, cross-platform applications efficiently.
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