Kotlin for Server Side Development

Introduction

The book «Kotlin for Server Side Development» (author — Alexey Sorokin, 2020, 280 pages) is a practical guide dedicated to using the Kotlin language for building server-side applications. While Kotlin is more often associated with Android development, this book shifts the focus to the backend, demonstrating all the language's capabilities in the context of server technologies. The author consistently guides the reader from the basics of the language to building a full-fledged web service using modern frameworks and libraries.

What the book is about

The book covers the complete development cycle of a server application in Kotlin. The main focus is on the Ktor framework (JetBrains' own development for creating asynchronous servers) and the Exposed library for working with databases. It also covers testing, logging, configuration, and deployment. Each chapter contains practical examples and explanations that help reinforce the material.

Who this book is for

The book will be useful for:

• Java developers who want to learn Kotlin for server-side development;
• Android developers looking to expand their skills to the backend;
• Beginner programmers already familiar with the basics of Kotlin or Java;
• Team leads and architects evaluating Kotlin as an alternative to Java in new projects.

What the reader will learn

• How to set up a project with Gradle and add dependencies for server-side development;
• Basics of working with Ktor: routing, request handling, middleware, WebSockets;
• Working with databases via Exposed: creating tables, queries, transactions;
• Authentication and authorization (JWT, OAuth, sessions);
• Testing server applications (unit and integration tests);
• Logging, error handling, and application configuration;
• Deployment (Docker, cloud platforms).

Strengths

The main advantage of the book is its practical focus. The author does not overload with theory but immediately moves to code examples that can be run and modified. The book's structure is logical: from simple to complex. Special attention deserves the chapter on asynchronous programming with coroutines in the server context — this is one of the most difficult topics, explained accessibly and clearly. It is also worth noting that the book is written in English, but the style of presentation is simple and understandable, making it accessible to developers with an Intermediate level and above.

Who it is recommended for

The book «Kotlin for Server Side Development» is recommended for anyone who wants to use Kotlin not only for mobile applications but also for building reliable and performant backend systems. It will be useful both for self-study and as a reference guide when working on real projects. If you are already familiar with Kotlin and want to delve deeper into server-side development — this book will be an excellent choice.