Picture this — the year is 2011. JetBrains, the genius folks who gave us IntelliJ IDEA, pulls back the curtain on Kotlin — a fresh-faced, eager programming language ready to take on the world. Fast-forward a decade, and this rookie has carved out a niche in the coding big leagues, securing a spot in the TIOBE Index’s top 20 and even getting the nod from Google as the go-to language for Android app development. But don’t let its shiny facade fool you. Kotlin isn’t merely a caffeinated version of Java. It’s true, Kotlin can play nice with Java, swapping code like trading cards on the schoolyard, but that’s not the whole story. You see, Kotlin picked up a few tricks from its older sibling, but it’s not afraid to strut its own stuff. Under the hood, Kotlin’s engine purrs with a rhythm reminiscent of Java. This ain’t no coincidence. Kotlin was not only designed to play well with Java but also to learn from its triumphs and trials. This sibling relationship, grounded in mutual respect but not without a sense of competition, birthed a language that took the wisdom of Java and remixed it with its unique flavor. What exactly did Kotlin inherit? If you’ve spent any time in the Java jungle, you know it’s a beast of its own. Built on robust principles, Java has weathered the storms of change, evolving and adapting, while preserving its core identity. Yet, it’s not without its idiosyncrasies and elements of ‘vintage charm’, shall we say. Herein, we unravel the treasure trove of Java wisdom that Kotlin’s makers decided to hold onto, forming the backbone of Kotlin’s identity. Syntax Similarities and A Familiar Flavor with a Twist Programming languages, like spoken ones, have their unique syntax, dictating how we converse with machines. Kotlin, in many ways, shares syntax similarities with Java, making it easy for Java developers to transition to Kotlin.
