Kotlin Native: A Compiler for an Interoperable Programming Language
As the cloud-based software development industry moves towards creating more platform-independent and interoperable applications, a crucial role is played by cross-platform development technologies. One such revolutionary open-source project is JetBrains' Kotlin Native.
The aim of the Kotlin Native project is to bring the flexible and intuitive programming language – Kotlin, to be used without any restrictions on platforms that do not support virtual machines. This ultimately opens doors for Kotlin's usage in several niches including embedded systems, game development and numerous areas where a fully static application is required.
Project Overview:
Kotlin Native is a technology that compiles Kotlin directly to machine code. By allowing Kotlin to target platforms with no virtual machines, it addresses the need for modern, user-friendly programming that can be used across diverse platforms. The key target audience of Kotlin Native includes software developers, game development teams, those working on embedded systems applications, and developers building high-performance systems.
Project Features:
Primarily, Kotlin Native provides an ability to compile Kotlin code to standalone executables for multiple operating systems and CPUs, including Linux, Windows, macOS, and iOS. As per examples, an application developed for one platform can be reused for other platforms minimizing the development cost and time.
Another feature is Kotlin's interoperability with its native environment, facilitating seamless interaction between Kotlin and Swift, Objective-C or C, and letting you use all the native frameworks and libraries provided by the platform of your choice.
Technology Stack:
The technology stack of Kotlin Native includes the Kotlin programming language, and the LLVM compiler infrastructure.
The LLVM offers extensive compiler components that Kotlin-Native uses to its advantage. Kotlin was chosen for its simplicity, safety features, and the fact that it runs on the Java virtual machine (JVM), making programs easy to run on any hardware. Furthermore, LLVM provides utilities and libraries creating an effective infrastructure for Kotlin Native.
Project Structure and Architecture:
The Kotlin Native project follows a modular architecture with separate components for every functionality. For instance, there are modules for compiler frontend, backend, runtime library and utils, and interoperability language specification.
Additionally, it employs an ‘Ahead-Of-Time’ compiling approach, abstracting the platform-specific system APIs, and performs memory management via automated reference counting with cycle detection.
