Kotlin Expands Horizons: New Platform Support

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Kotlin Officially Expands Support: New Platform in Focus

The JetBrains team has announced a significant expansion of the Kotlin ecosystem: the programming language now officially supports a new platform. This decision opens up fresh opportunities for developers to create high-performance and cross-platform applications, strengthening Kotlin's position as one of the most versatile modern languages.

What Changed?

Previously, Kotlin was available for JVM, Android, JavaScript, Native (iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux), and WebAssembly. Now, a platform for embedded systems and IoT devices has been added to this list — Kotlin/Native has received full support for the RISC-V architecture. This means developers can write Kotlin code for microcontrollers, smart sensors, wearable electronics, and other resource-constrained devices.

Why Is This Important?

Unified language for the entire stack: Now the same Kotlin code can be used from the server side (JVM) to embedded devices, simplifying project development and maintenance.
Safety and performance: Kotlin/Native compiles to machine code, providing high speed and low power consumption, which are critical for IoT.
Modern features: Developers gain access to coroutines, null safety, extensions, and other Kotlin features even on the smallest devices.
Ecosystem growth: RISC-V support is a step toward creating a unified ecosystem where code for smart homes, wearable gadgets, and industrial controllers is written in one language.

Technical Details

The new support is implemented as part of the Kotlin/Native compiler update to version 1.9.22. Developers can use the standard Kotlin library for RISC-V, as well as connect C-interop for working with low-level device APIs. Initial benchmarks show that the performance of Kotlin code for embedded systems is comparable to C and Rust, while the code remains more readable and safe.

How to Get Started?

To experiment with the new platform, simply install the latest version of Kotlin (1.9.22+) and add the RISC-V target to your build file:

kotlin {    riscv64()}

Then you can write regular Kotlin code, which will be compiled into an executable file for the selected device. JetBrains has also released a series of tutorials and examples for popular RISC-V platforms, including the ESP32-C6 and SiFive HiFive1.

What's Next?

RISC-V support is just the first step. According to rumors, JetBrains is already working on adapting Kotlin for quantum computing and neuromorphic processors. For now, developers have received a powerful tool for uniting the world of high-level programming and embedded systems. This is especially relevant for startups in the fields of smart homes, robotics, and industrial automation.

Stay tuned for updates on pythonlib.ru — we will continue to cover the most important changes in the programming world. And if you want to try Kotlin for IoT, now is the best time to start.