Basic language syntax and features

Whether you come from Java, C#, Scala or any other statically typed programming language, you'll find Kotlin syntax quite familiar. This is not by coincidence, but to make the transfer to this new language as smooth as possible for those with previous experience in other languages. Besides that familiarity, Kotlin brings a vast amount of features, such as better type safety. As we move ahead, you'll notice that all of them are attempting to solve real-world problems. That pragmatic approach is very consistent across the language. For example, one of the strongest sides of Kotlin is complete Java interoperability. You can have Java and Kotlin classes alongside each other, and freely use any library that is available in Java for a Kotlin project.

To summarize, the goals of language are as follows:

• Pragmatism
• Having clear syntax
• Being type-safe
• Interoperability

The first chapter will discuss how these goals are achieved.