What are some of the challenges of using Kotlin for iOS development?

When we were trying it, there was a huge disconnect between the kotlin way of doing things and the native iOS way of doing things. Not just the naming, but design patterns where there were extra clunky hoops to work with SwiftUI and Combine, and a lot of creature comforts we had to go without. Much of it came from the fact that iOS naming conventions and Kotlin naming conventions often differ. There's a lot of compromise needed. Everything was beta and workarounds that lacked the typical API fit and finish. Is it useful as a tool? Yes, especially if you're lacking a heavy iOS team. Just don't expect it to be using iOS technologies to their fullest potential.

May i know is this are talking about kotlin multipaltform? If this meaning is that i believe it will improve year by year. However challenge is that it take more time to be perform good like language dart (flutter) and javascript (reac native).

One thing I've found helpful when working with Kotlin/Native for iOS development is to establish a clear naming and coding convention early on. This can help streamline the process of binding Kotlin code with Swift or Objective-C, making it easier to maintain and understand the interoperability layer. Consistent naming conventions also facilitate collaboration among developers who might be working on different parts of the project.

The difficulty I faced revolved around invoking iOS classes from Kotlin/Native. While Kotlin/Native supports bi-directional interoperability with Objective-C, my initial assumption was that I could access the same functions and constructors as I would in Swift. This proved challenging. For instance, in Kotlin/Native I couldn't instantiate NSDate by passing the "timeIntervalSince1970" parameter. Fortunately, I found that the desired instances were accessible through static functions of the same class (e.g., NSDate.dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970(dateWithTimeIntervalSince1970)). However, this solution wasn't immediately apparent, and the documentation lacked direct instructions or guidance (or at least I couldn't find any).

As someone who’s explored Kotlin for iOS development, I’ve found that it’s not quite the perfect fit yet, despite its growing popularity. The main hurdle is the lack of direct interoperability with Swift and Objective-C, the native tongues of iOS. To bridge this gap, we rely on Kotlin/Native to convert Kotlin code into native binaries. While this sounds straightforward, it introduces several nuanced challenges. While Kotlin offers an exciting avenue for cross-platform development, integrating it into iOS projects is still a complex endeavor filled with challenges that need careful navigation.

Kotlin's venture into iOS flaunts its multiplatform prowess, but debugging feels like a tango with external tools, demanding patience. Performance, though native, may need extra optimization compared to Swift. Swift's robust community offers swift solutions, while Kotlin on iOS requires more exploration. Some Swift features may not seamlessly translate. Yet, the allure of cross-platform code-sharing is undeniable. Pack your toolkit, embrace the adventure, and become a multiplatform master! The path to iOS with Kotlin might not be all sunshine, but the view from the top is worth it!

One thing I've found helpful when debugging Kotlin code in an iOS project is to establish a well-defined debugging process that incorporates both Xcode and external debugging tools. While Xcode might not directly support Kotlin syntax, you can still use Xcode's debugger to inspect Swift/Objective-C code that interacts with your Kotlin code. By carefully setting up breakpoints in your Swift/Objective-C code that calls Kotlin functions, you can effectively step through your Kotlin logic and understand how it interacts with the rest of your app.

An example I've seen of effectively addressing app size and performance issues involves a strategy of modularization. By breaking down your Kotlin codebase into smaller, manageable modules, you can better control what parts of the code are included in the final binary. This can significantly reduce the size of the compiled app and improve launch times. Additionally, using LTO and bitcode features as mentioned can further contribute to optimizing your app's performance and size, while still allowing you to benefit from cross-platform development using Kotlin/Native.

Actually, I disagree with the assumption that Kotlin/Native will always result in a significant increase in app size and performance overhead. While there might be some additional overhead compared to fully native code, Kotlin/Native has been improving in terms of optimization and efficiency. It's important to carefully measure the impact of Kotlin/Native on your specific app and assess whether the benefits it brings to cross-platform development outweigh the potential drawbacks.