getting-started.md

Kotlin is a modern but already mature programming language designed to make developers happier. It's concise, safe, interoperable with Java and other languages, and provides many ways to reuse code between multiple platforms for productive programming.

To start, why not take our tour of Kotlin? This tour covers the fundamentals of the Kotlin programming language.

Install Kotlin

Kotlin is included in each IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio release. Download and install one of these IDEs to start using Kotlin.

Create your powerful application with Kotlin

Here is how you can take the first steps in developing Kotlin server-side applications.

1. Create your first backend application:

   • To start from scratch, create a basic JVM application with the IntelliJ IDEA project wizard.
   • If you prefer more robust examples, choose one of the frameworks below and create a project:

   Spring	Ktor
   A mature family of frameworks with an established ecosystem that is used by millions of developers worldwide. Create a RESTful web service with Spring Boot. Build web applications with Spring Boot and Kotlin. Use Spring Boot with Kotlin and RSocket.	A lightweight framework for those who value freedom in making architectural decisions. Create HTTP APIs with Ktor. Create a WebSocket chat with Ktor. Create an interactive website with Ktor. Publish server-side Kotlin applications: Ktor on Heroku.

2. Use Kotlin and third-party libraries in your application. Learn more about adding library and tool dependencies to your project.

   • The Kotlin standard library offers a lot of useful things such as collections or coroutines.
   • Take a look at the following third-party frameworks, libs and tools for Kotlin.

3. Learn more about Kotlin for server-side:

   • How to write your first unit test.
   • How to mix Kotlin and Java code in your application.

4. Join the Kotlin server-side community:

   • {width=25}{type="joined"} Slack: get an invite and join the #getting-started, #server, #spring, or #ktor channels.
   • {width=25}{type="joined"} StackOverflow: subscribe to the "kotlin", "spring-kotlin", or "ktor" tags.

5. Follow Kotlin on {width=25}{type="joined"} Twitter, {width=25}{type="joined"} Reddit, and {width=25}{type="joined"} Youtube, and don't miss any important ecosystem updates.

If you've encountered any difficulties or problems, report an issue to our issue tracker.

Here you'll learn how to develop and improve your cross-platform mobile application using Kotlin Multiplatform.

1. Set up your environment for cross-platform development.

2. Create your first application for iOS and Android:

   • To start from scratch, create a basic cross-platform mobile application with the project wizard.
   • If you have an existing Android application and want to make it cross-platform, complete the Make your Android application work on iOS tutorial.
   • If you prefer real-life examples, clone and play with an existing project, for example the networking and data storage project from the Create a multiplatform app using Ktor and SQLdelight tutorial or any sample project.

3. Use a wide set of multiplatform libraries to implement the required business logic only once in the shared module. Learn more about adding dependencies.

   Library	Details
   Ktor	Docs
   Serialization	Docs and sample
   Coroutines	Docs and sample
   DateTime	Docs
   SQLDelight	Third-party library. Docs

   You can also find a multiplatform library in the community-driven list.

   {type="tip"}

4. Learn more about Kotlin Multiplatform:

   • Learn more about Kotlin Multiplatform.
   • Look through samples projects.
   • Publish a multiplatform library.
   • Learn how Kotlin Multiplatform is used at Netflix, VMware, Yandex, and many other companies.

5. Join the Kotlin Multiplatform community:

   • {width=25}{type="joined"} Slack: get an invite and join the #getting-started and #multiplatform channels.
   • {width=25}{type="joined"} StackOverflow: Subscribe to the "kotlin-multiplatform" tag.

6. Follow Kotlin on {width=25}{type="joined"} Twitter, {width=25}{type="joined"} Reddit, and {width=25}{type="joined"} Youtube, and don't miss any important ecosystem updates.

If you've encountered any difficulties or problems, report an issue to our issue tracker.

• If you want to start using Kotlin for Android development, read Google's recommendation for getting started with Kotlin on Android.

• If you're new to Android and want to learn to create applications with Kotlin, check out this Udacity course.

Follow Kotlin on {width=25}{type="joined"} Twitter, {width=25}{type="joined"} Reddit, and {width=25}{type="joined"} Youtube, and don't miss any important ecosystem updates.

Support for multiplatform programming is one of Kotlin's key benefits. It reduces time spent writing and maintaining the same code for different platforms while retaining the flexibility and benefits of native programming.

Here you'll learn how to develop and publish a multiplatform library:

1. Publish a multiplatform library:

   • See Publish a multiplatform library to learn more.

2. Use libraries in your application:

   • Ktor
   • Serialization
   • Coroutines
   • DateTime

   Learn more about adding dependencies on libraries. You can also find a multiplatform library in the community-driven list.

   {type="tip"}

3. Learn more about Kotlin Multiplatform programming:

   • Introduction to Kotlin Multiplatform.
   • Kotlin Multiplatform supported platforms.
   • Kotlin Multiplatform programming benefits.

4. Join the Kotlin Multiplatform community:

   • {width=25}{type="joined"} Slack: get an invite and join the #getting-started and #multiplatform channels.
   • {width=25}{type="joined"} StackOverflow: Subscribe to the "kotlin-multiplatform" tag.

5. Follow Kotlin on {width=25}{type="joined"} Twitter, {width=25}{type="joined"} Reddit, and {width=25}{type="joined"} Youtube, and don't miss any important ecosystem updates.

If you've encountered any difficulties or problems, report an issue to our issue tracker.

Is anything missing?

If anything is missing or seems confusing on this page, please share your feedback.