From Java To Kotlin

8 min readMar 1, 2025

Explore the transition from Java to Kotlin with key differences, benefits, and best practices for Android development.

Print to Console

Java

System.out.print("Coding School");
System.out.println("Coding School");

Kotlin

print("Coding School")
println("Coding School")

Constants and Variables

Java

String name = "Coding School";
final String name = "Coding School";

Kotlin

var name = "Coding School"
val name = "Coding School"

Verify if value is null

Java

if (text != null) {
  int length = text.length();
}

Kotlin

text?.let {
    val length = text.length
}
// or simply
val length = text?.length

Verify if value is NotNull OR NotEmpty

Java

String sampleString = "Abdul";
if (!sampleString.isEmpty()) {
    myTextView.setText(sampleString);
}
if(sampleString!=null && !sampleString.isEmpty()){
    myTextView.setText(sampleString); 
}

Kotlin

var sampleString ="Abdul"
if(sampleString.isNotEmpty()){  //the feature of kotlin extension function
    myTextView.text=sampleString
}
if(!sampleString.isNullOrEmpty()){
   myTextView.text=sampleString 
}

Concatenation of strings

Java

String firstName = "Abdul";
String lastName = "Khalid";
String message = "My name is: " + firstName + " " + lastName;

Kotlin

var firstName = "Abdul"
var lastName = "Khalid"
var message = "My name is: $firstName $lastName"

New line in string

Java

String text = "First Line\n" +
              "Second Line\n" +
              "Third Line";

Kotlin

val text = """
        |First Line
        |Second Line
        |Third Line
        """.trimMargin()

Substring

Java

String str = "Java to Kotlin Guide";
String substr = "";

//print java
substr = str.substring(0, 4);
System.out.println("substring = " + substr);

//print kotlin
substr = str.substring(8, 14);
System.out.println("substring = " + substr);

Kotlin

var str = "Java to Kotlin Guide"
var substr = ""

//print java
substr = str.substring(0..3) //
println("substring $substr")

//print kotlin
substr = str.substring(8..13)
println("substring $substr")

Ternary Operations

Java

String text = x > 5 ? "x > 5" : "x <= 5";

String message = null;
log(message != null ? message : "");

Kotlin

val text = if (x > 5) "x > 5" else "x <= 5"

val message: String? = null
log(message ?: "")

Bitwise Operators

Java

final int andResult  = a & b;
final int orResult   = a | b;
final int xorResult  = a ^ b;
final int rightShift = a >> 2;
final int leftShift  = a << 2;
final int unsignedRightShift = a >>> 2;

Kotlin

val andResult  = a and b
val orResult   = a or b
val xorResult  = a xor b
val rightShift = a shr 2
val leftShift  = a shl 2
val unsignedRightShift = a ushr 2

Check the type and casting

Java

if (object instanceof Car) {
  Car car = (Car) object;
}

Kotlin

if (object is Car) {
var car = object as Car
}

// if object is null
var car = object as? Car // var car = object as Car?

Check the type and casting (implicit)

Java

if (object instanceof Car) {
   Car car = (Car) object;
}

Kotlin

if (object is Car) {
   var car = object // smart casting
}

// if object is null
if (object is Car?) {
   var car = object // smart casting, car will be null
}

Multiple conditions

Java

if (score >= 0 && score <= 300) { }

Kotlin

if (score in 0..300) { }

Multiple Conditions (Switch case)

Java

int score = // some score;
String grade;
switch (score) {
  case 10:
  case 9:
    grade = "Excellent";
    break;
  case 8:
  case 7:
  case 6:
    grade = "Good";
    break;
  case 5:
  case 4:
    grade = "OK";
    break;
  case 3:
  case 2:
  case 1:
    grade = "Fail";
    break;
  default:
      grade = "Fail";       
}

Kotlin

var score = // some score
var grade = when (score) {
  9, 10 -> "Excellent"
  in 6..8 -> "Good"
  4, 5 -> "OK"
  else -> "Fail"
}

For-loops

Java

for (int i = 1; i <= 10 ; i++) { }

for (int i = 1; i < 10 ; i++) { }

for (int i = 10; i >= 0 ; i--) { }

for (int i = 1; i <= 10 ; i+=2) { }

for (int i = 10; i >= 0 ; i-=2) { }

for (String item : collection) { }

for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry: map.entrySet()) { }

Kotlin

for (i in 1..10) { }

for (i in 1 until 10) { }

for (i in 10 downTo 0) { }

for (i in 1..10 step 2) { }

for (i in 10 downTo 0 step 2) { }

for (item in collection) { }

for ((key, value) in map) { }

Collections

Java

final List<Integer> listOfNumber = Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4);

final Map<Integer, String> map = new HashMap<Integer, String>();
map.put(1, "Abdul");
map.put(2, "Soha");
map.put(3, "Aman");

// Java 9
final List<Integer> listOfNumber = List.of(1, 2, 3, 4);

final Map<Integer, String> map = Map.of(1, "Abdul",
2, "Soha",
3, "Aman");

Kotlin

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val listOfNumber = listOf(1, 2, 3, 4)
val map = mapOf(1 to "Abdul",
2 to "Soha",
3 to "Aman")

for each

Java

// Java 7 and below
for (Car car : cars) {
  System.out.println(car.speed);
}

// Java 8+
cars.forEach(car -> System.out.println(car.speed));

// Java 7 and below
for (Car car : cars) {
  if (car.speed > 100) {
    System.out.println(car.speed);
  }
}

// Java 8+
cars.stream().filter(car -> car.speed > 100).forEach(car -> System.out.println(car.speed));
cars.parallelStream().filter(car -> car.speed > 100).forEach(car -> System.out.println(car.speed));

Kotlin

cars.forEach {
    println(it.speed)
}

cars.filter { it.speed > 100 }
      .forEach { println(it.speed)}

// kotlin 1.1+
cars.stream().filter { it.speed > 100 }.forEach { println(it.speed)}
cars.parallelStream().filter { it.speed > 100 }.forEach { println(it.speed)}

Splitting arrays

Java

String[] splits = "param=car".split("=");
String param = splits[0];
String value = splits[1];

kotlin

val (param, value) = "param=car".split("=")

Defining methods

Java

void doSomething() {
   // logic here
}

Kotlin

fun doSomething() {
   // logic here
}

Default values for method parameters

Java

double calculateCost(int quantity, double pricePerItem) {
    return pricePerItem * quantity;
}

double calculateCost(int quantity) {
    // default price is 20.5
    return 20.5 * quantity;
}

Kotlin

fun calculateCost(quantity: Int, pricePerItem: Double = 20.5) = quantity * pricePerItem

calculateCost(10, 25.0) // 250
calculateCost(10) // 205

Variable number of arguments

Java

void doSomething(int... numbers) {
   // logic here
}

Kotlin

fun doSomething(vararg numbers: Int) {
   // logic here
}

Defining methods with return

Java

int getScore() {
   // logic here
   return score;
}

Kotlin

fun getScore(): Int {
   // logic here
   return score
}

// as a single-expression function

fun getScore(): Int = score

// even simpler (type will be determined automatically)

fun getScore() = score // return-type is Int

Returning result of an operation

Java

int getScore(int value) {
    // logic here
    return 2 * value;
}

Kotlin

fun getScore(value: Int): Int {
   // logic here
   return 2 * value
}

// as a single-expression function
fun getScore(value: Int): Int = 2 * value

// even simpler (type will be determined automatically)

fun getScore(value: Int) = 2 * value // return-type is int

Constructors

Java

public class Utils {

    private Utils() {
      // This utility class is not publicly instantiable
    }

    public static int getScore(int value) {
        return 2 * value;
    }

}

Kotlin

class Utils private constructor() {

    companion object {

        fun getScore(value: Int): Int {
            return 2 * value
        }

    }
}

// another way

object Utils {

    fun getScore(value: Int): Int {
        return 2 * value
    }

}

Getters and Setters

Java

public class Developer {

    private String name;
    private int age;

    public Developer(String name, int age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    public int getAge() {
        return age;
    }

    public void setAge(int age) {
        this.age = age;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object o) {
        if (this == o) return true;
        if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;

        Developer developer = (Developer) o;

        if (age != developer.age) return false;
        return name != null ? name.equals(developer.name) : developer.name == null;

    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        int result = name != null ? name.hashCode() : 0;
        result = 31 * result + age;
        return result;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Developer{" +
                "name='" + name + '\'' +
                ", age=" + age +
                '}';
    }
}

Kotlin

data class Developer(var name: String, var age: Int)

Cloning or copying

Java

public class Developer implements Cloneable {

    private String name;
    private int age;

    public Developer(String name, int age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }

    @Override
    protected Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException {
        return (Developer)super.clone();
    }
}

// cloning or copying
Developer dev = new Developer("Abdul", 30);
try {
    Developer dev2 = (Developer) dev.clone();
} catch (CloneNotSupportedException e) {
    // handle exception
}

Kotlin

data class Developer(var name: String, var age: Int)

// cloning or copying
val dev = Developer("Abdul", 30)
val dev2 = dev.copy()
// in case you only want to copy selected properties
val dev2 = dev.copy(age = 25)

Generics

Java


// Example #1
interface SomeInterface<T> {
    void doSomething(T data);
}

class SomeClass implements SomeInterface<String> {
    @Override
    public void doSomething(String data) {
        // some logic
    }
}

// Example #2
interface SomeInterface<T extends Collection<?>> {
    void doSomething(T data);
}

class SomeClass implements SomeInterface<List<String>> {

    @Override
    public void doSomething(List<String> data) {
        // some logic
    }
}

Kotlin

interface SomeInterface<T> {
    fun doSomething(data: T)
}

class SomeClass: SomeInterface<String> {
    override fun doSomething(data: String) {
        // some logic
    }
}

interface SomeInterface<T: Collection<*>> {
    fun doSomething(data: T)
}

class SomeClass: SomeInterface<List<String>> {
    override fun doSomething(data: List<String>) {
        // some logic
    }
}

Extension function

Java

public class Utils {

    private Utils() {
      // This utility class is not publicly instantiable
    }

    public static int triple(int value) {
        return 3 * value;
    }

}

int result = Utils.triple(3);

Kotlin

fun Int.triple(): Int {
  return this * 3
}

var result = 3.triple()

Defining uninitialized objects

Java

Person person;

Kotlin

internal lateinit var person: Person

enum

Java

public enum Direction {
        NORTH(1),
        SOUTH(2),
        WEST(3),
        EAST(4);

        int direction;

        Direction(int direction) {
            this.direction = direction;
        }

        public int getDirection() {
            return direction;
        }
    }

Kotlin

enum class Direction(val direction: Int) {
    NORTH(1),
    SOUTH(2),
    WEST(3),
    EAST(4);
}

Sorting ListJava

Java

List<Profile> profiles = loadProfiles(context);
Collections.sort(profiles, new Comparator<Profile>() {
    @Override
    public int compare(Profile profile1, Profile profile2) {
        if (profile1.getAge() > profile2.getAge()) return 1;
        if (profile1.getAge() < profile2.getAge()) return -1;
        return 0;
    }
});

Kotlin

val profile = loadProfiles(context)
profile.sortedWith(Comparator({ profile1, profile2 ->
    if (profile1.age > profile2.age) return@Comparator 1
    if (profile1.age < profile2.age) return@Comparator -1
    return@Comparator 0
}))

Anonymous Class

Java

 AsyncTask<Void, Void, Profile> task = new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Profile>() {
    @Override
    protected Profile doInBackground(Void... voids) {
        // fetch profile from API or DB
        return null;
    }

    @Override
    protected void onPreExecute() {
        super.onPreExecute();
        // do something
    }
};

Kotlin

val task = object : AsyncTask<Void, Void, Profile>() {
    override fun doInBackground(vararg voids: Void): Profile? {
        // fetch profile from API or DB
        return null
    }

    override fun onPreExecute() {
        super.onPreExecute()
        // do something
    }
}

Initialization block

Java

public class User {
    {  //Initialization block
        System.out.println("Init block");
    }
}

Kotlin

   class User {
        init { // Initialization block
            println("Init block")
        }
    }

Thanks for reading this article. Be sure to share this article if you found it helpful. Also, putting a clap will motivate me to write more such articles.

Follow me on Medium, Linkedin and Github — your support helps me keep writing. Thank you, and happy coding!

Abdul Khalid

From Java To Kotlin

Print to Console

Constants and Variables

Verify if value is null

Verify if value is NotNull OR NotEmpty

Concatenation of strings

New line in string

Substring

Ternary Operations

Bitwise Operators

Check the type and casting

Check the type and casting (implicit)

Multiple conditions

Multiple Conditions (Switch case)

For-loops

Collections

Get Abdul Khalid’s stories in your inbox

for each

Splitting arrays

Defining methods

Default values for method parameters

Variable number of arguments

Defining methods with return

Returning result of an operation

Constructors

Getters and Setters

Cloning or copying

Generics

Extension function

Defining uninitialized objects

enum

Sorting ListJava

Anonymous Class

Initialization block

Written by Abdul Khalid

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