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Considering the various programming paradigms that are available across, it is not very easy to evaluate which will turn out to be the best one as they come with their own set of features and practices in place. Groovy is functional but Kotlin is both procedural as well as functional. However, the entire project construction process (right from code compilation to testing to managing dependencies) is being managed by Gradle but there’s more that adds to the popularity of these languages. Let’s gain some more insight as to which one fares better in android app development.
Groovy is partially proportional to Kotlin and somewhat similar to JavaScript. We claim this as it comes with static compilation capabilities but is still called as a dynamic language. Based on Java, it is interoperable, concise, and functional. Groovy came before Kotlin, is written in JVM (Java runs on Java Virtual Machine). Kotlin also runs on JVM. With Groovy you do not require to define any data type during the compile time. Therefore, all the casting happens at runtime.
Kotlin evolved after Groovy. It is a statistically typed language and makes use of Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and Java. It introduces an improved syntax with concise expressions and abstractions, eliminating the need for excessive boilerplate code which is very important in Android programming. You may leverage the advantages of Groovy with Kotlin as very little coding is required to grab the exact functionality. Kotlin is Null-safe, no null pointers are allowed.
| Differences | Groovy | Kotlin |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic/Static | It is a dynamically typed programming language | Kotlin is a statically typed programming language for modern applications that work across platforms. |
| Flat Learning Curve | Groovy coding requires less lines of code and is accountable for ease of readability, learnability for Java developers | Kotlin is a pragmatic language that can be easily adopted by people who are already into Java coding. |
| Powerful Features | It features runtime and compile-time meta-programming, closures, builders, static compilation, functional programming, static and dynamic typing, regular expressions, supports XML/HTML, operator overloading, associative lists and arrays, type inference, operator overloading, lists and associative arrays | Reducing runtime crashes, interoperability with Java, safe and reliable, smart cast function, low cost of adoption, statically typed, extension function, high-order functions, Null safety, Smart Cast, Default and named arguments, Multi-value return from functions, No more findViewById() and Data class etc. |
| Smooth Java Integration | Groovy is based on Java, thus it is interoperable with any legacy code; integrations with third-party libraries are easy and successful. | Kotlin is as well based on Java code entirely and is interoperable as well. |
| Vibrant and Rich Ecosystem | Groovy is good for reactive web applications. It features asynchronous code, concurrency, and parallelism. It comes with build tools, test frameworks, GUI building and code analysis. | Kotlin does not have so many libraries; it is fairly new, just 2 years old yet. |
| Scripting and testing guide | Groovy can be used to write test cases that require minimal lines of code; it can be preferred to write regression test cases | The presence of Gradle Plugin in Kotlin/JavaScript allows running tests through a variety of test runners that are specified by Gradle configuration. |
| Concise | Groovy comes with Java-like syntax which is flexible, has advanced integration, customization mechanisms and helps fast development. It has a short learning curve. | It reduces the amount of boilerplate code as more can be accomplished with fewer lines of code. |
| Safe | Groovy makes use of reflections so it is not safe. | Avoid entire classes of errors such as null pointer exceptions |
| Interoperable | Groovy is also compatible with JVM and Javascript being used inside the Groovy script. | Kotlin leverage existing libraries for JVM to interoperates seamlessly with Java code and libraries. |
| Tool-friendly | Groovy also has a good IDE to work with. | Choose any Java IDE or build from the command line. |
If you create a POJO – Plain old java object, you will also need to create Getters and Setters. So if your POJO is of hundred lines, it does not quite make sense. These are just like different ceremonies, to make it work in a JVM. We do not have to do that in Groovy or Kotlin. If you create anything in Groovy, you can access variables inside a particular POJO using the object directly. If there is a Class A with variables like A1, A2, A3; they can be accessed as A.A1, A.A2, A.A3; values can be assigned as A.A1 = 10 and likewise. There is no necessity for getters and setters Groovy uses a reflection mechanism, so whatever code you write in Groovy gets converted into bytecode. In case you are making use of Java, you can convert from Groovy to Java and vice versa. Kotlin also works in the same way.
Also Read: Kotlin vs Java
Boilerplate Code: We can directly access the variables in Groovy but cannot do that in Kotlin There is no need to declare everything in public in Kotlin, which makes it safer than Groovy.
Statically-Typed: Groovy follows reflection. Therefore, when we write anything, it does not get compiled during compile time, and the errors remain in the compiled code (if any), so the code might fail at production. We never compile JavaScript. Debugging happens at the runtime in JavaScript. But all the issues are resolved during compile time in Kotlin as it is statically-typed.
Also read: Kotlin vs Swift
Null Safety: Kotlin is Null safe. We cannot have any null object in Kotlin (all variables should be assigned before the call). In that case, we need to specify a Null object, need to specifically write ‘Null’ and need to have some special handling to handle that Null. Groovy is not statically-typed, so there are no Null Pointer issues.
Also read: Kotlin vs Scala
After creating a handful of applications, we can safely conclude that the Groovy script is preferable for writing test cases. Kotlin is applicable in production. Google now supports Kotlin because of fewer lines-of-code, and it has become an official language for Android Application Development. You may continue to make use of Java for backend coding. Feel free to approach us for any such queries on Kotlin app development.
Neeti Kotia is a technology journalist who seeks to analyze the advancements and developments in technology that affect our everyday lives. Her articles primarily focus upon the business, social, cultural, and entertainment side of the technology sector.
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