Kotlin Multiplatform by Tutorials

Introduction

The book «Kotlin Multiplatform by Tutorials» from the Raywenderlich team is a practical guide to one of the most promising technologies in modern development: Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP). Released in 2022, it spans 496 pages and is intended for developers who want to learn how to write shared code for Android, iOS, web, and desktop without sacrificing performance or native UX. Despite the fact that the PythonLib site is dedicated to Python, this book will be useful to anyone interested in cross-platform solutions and looking to expand their tool stack.

What the book is about

The authors consistently guide the reader from the basics of KMP to creating a full-fledged application with shared business logic. The book is divided into several parts:

• Introduction to Kotlin Multiplatform: installation, project setup, module structure.
• Shared code: writing classes, functions, working with coroutines and flows.
• Platform integration: using expect/actual, working with UI via Compose Multiplatform.
• Networking and data storage: Ktor, SQLDelight, serialization.
• Testing and debugging: unit tests, integration tests, profiling.
• Publishing: building for Android, iOS, web, and desktop.

Each chapter contains practical tasks and code examples that can be immediately applied in real projects.

Who this book is for

The book is aimed at developers already familiar with the Kotlin language (at least at a basic level). It will be useful for:

• Android developers looking to expand their skills to iOS and other platforms.
• iOS developers who want to use Kotlin for shared code.
• Full-stack developers seeking a single language for server and client sides.
• Team leads and architects evaluating KMP for new projects.

If you have never worked with Kotlin, you should learn the basics of the language from other sources before reading.

What the reader will learn

After reading the book, you will be able to:

• Set up a multiplatform project from scratch.
• Organize shared code for business logic, network requests, and data storage.
• Use the expect/actual mechanism for platform-specific implementations.
• Work with Compose Multiplatform to create a UI that works on Android, iOS, web, and desktop.
• Integrate Ktor for HTTP requests and SQLDelight for local databases.
• Write tests for shared code and integrate them into CI/CD.
• Build and publish applications for different platforms.

Strengths

Practical focus. Each chapter is a mini-tutorial with ready-made code. You don't just read theory, but immediately write working applications.

Relevance. The book was released in 2022 and covers stable versions of KMP, Compose Multiplatform, and related libraries. The information is not outdated at the time of writing this review.

Structure. The material is divided into logical blocks, from simple to complex. At the end of each chapter, there are self-test questions.

Code quality. The examples are written in the best traditions of Raywenderlich: clean, readable code with comments.

Community support. The book is part of the Raywenderlich series, known for its forums and updates. You can ask questions to the authors or other readers.

Who it is recommended for

The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to master Kotlin Multiplatform and use it in commercial development. It will also be useful for teachers and students studying modern approaches to cross-platform development. If you are looking for an alternative to React Native or Flutter, but want to maintain native performance and access to platform APIs — KMP and this book are your choice.

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