Adopting Kotlin - How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Null

Lessons learned from using Kotlin in production

Abstract

Since adopting the Kotlin in late 2016, and introducing it to SPA last year, we've been running teams releasing production code in this JVM language for some 18 months now.

In that time the language has been through 2 major releases, with the latest version 1.1 filling some gaps left in the original spec and adding innovative coroutine support, while the tooling continues to improve. As a result our enthusiasm for this strongly typed but expressive gem has, amazingly, grown since last year.

In this session we'll share our experience in migrating existing code, TDD in Kotlin, training developers, publishing libraries, writing DSLs, mixing OO and functional code, and embracing null as a friend.

Audience background

Knowledge of Java would be helpful but not necessary

Benefits of participating

Better knowledge of Kotlin
Information to inform and guide adoption in your organisation
Loose weight

Materials provided

Slides

Process

A good old fashioned experience report - slides and chat detailing what worked, what didn't, and things that we're still puzzled about.

Detailed timetable

75 minute session
5 minutes of introduction
60 minutes of material
10 minutes for questions and contributions from attendees

Outputs

Slides on slideshare

History

We've talked about Kotlin at the inaugural Kotlin London Meetup, and JetBrains' Kotlin Night London.

Presenters

1. Duncan McGregor
   Independent
2. Nat Pryce
   Technemetis Ltd.