Kotlin News: 1.9.0 Is Here, Compose Multiplatform for iOS, Kotlin Notebook, and More
Welcome to the Kotlin news roundup where we bring you the latest updates and developments from May and June.
Kotlin 1.9.0 has been released!
Kotlin 1.9.0 is out, and the K2 compiler for the JVM is now in Beta. The main highlights of this release include:
- New Kotlin K2 compiler updates.
- Stable replacement of the enum class values function.
- Stable ..< operator for open-ended ranges.
- New common function for retrieving regex capture groups by name.
- New path utility to create parent directories.
- Preview of Gradle configuration cache in Kotlin Multiplatform.
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Roadmap updated
The Kotlin roadmap has been updated with our plans for the upcoming releases. The key priorities are making Kotlin Multiplatform and the K2 compiler Stable. The plans also include making Kotlin/Wasm suitable for standalone Wasm VMs, improving Android debugging, and extending the kotlinx-io library towards a more unified and Kotlin-first API.
Compose Multiplatform for iOS is in Alpha
Compose Multiplatform – a declarative framework designed for building cross-platform user interfaces with Kotlin – has recently gained the capability to support iOS. This means developers can now use Compose Multiplatform to create a UI entirely in Kotlin and use it on Android, iOS, and other platforms.
Compose Multiplatform for iOS is now in its Alpha stage, which makes it perfect to use in your experiments. We invite you to give it a try and help us shape the future of the technology!
Introducing Kotlin Notebook
The first experimental version of the Kotlin Notebook plugin for IntelliJ IDEA is out. A notebook is an interactive tool that allows you to combine code, visualizations, and text in a single document. With Kotlin Notebook, you can explore, prototype, visualize, and document your code – all in the same environment. Delve deeper into the plugin’s functionality and use cases in our blog post and try it out in your project!
Kudos to Kotlin Multiplatform content creators
To recognize and appreciate the efforts of our community members who produce Kotlin Multiplatform content, we regularly run the Content Creators Recognition Campaign, which showcases articles and videos related to the technology. Explore our latest selection of stories and get inspired.
The Kotlin Foundation establishes the new Ecosystem Committee
The Kotlin Foundation has recently announced the formation of the new Ecosystem Committee, which promises to be an important contributor to the growth of the Kotlin ecosystem. The new committee is responsible for identifying strategic funding avenues for the Kotlin ecosystem, recommending direct investment into open-source Kotlin projects, and increasing awareness of the members’ individual contributions to the development and improvement of key libraries.
Contributors to Kotlin projects for Google Summer of Code announced
In May, 5 Kotlin project contributors were selected for Google Summer of Code 2023. As part of the initiative, they’ll work on several 12-week programming projects with the Kotlin Foundation guided by mentors from JetBrains, Google, and Gradle. We believe that each of the projects will have a significant impact on the Kotlin community. Learn more about the projects the selected contributors will be working on and keep up to date on their progress.
Teach Kotlin now with our new pre-made course
We’ve just released our latest educational resource – a freely available, semester-long Programming in Kotlin curriculum. The course is currently being taught at two universities, and we’ve also made the course materials available to all Kotlin educators. The educational materials include slides for 11 lectures covering core Kotlin concepts, along with speaker notes. You will also get access to assessment resources, such as quizzes, three tests, and four homework assignments involving hands-on coding exercises. We invite you to use the curriculum as is or adjust it to fit your needs!
And if you missed our “Launch Your Kotlin Course with New Materials for Educators” live stream, feel free to watch the recording. A special guest, Anastasia Birillo, is a JetBrains researcher, Kotlin developer and instructor, an active member of the Kotlin community, and one of the authors of the Programming in Kotlin curriculums. Learn from Anastasia’s expertise and profound experience and use free downloadable course materials for launching your own Kotlin course.
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