Provide a detailed introduction to KMM technology

happyer - Jun 8 - - Dev Community

1. Introduction to KMM Technology

KMM (Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile) is an extension of the Kotlin language that allows developers to share code across different operating system platforms while maintaining native-level performance and user experience. The core idea of KMM is to enable developers to serve multiple platforms with a single codebase, which not only improves development efficiency but also reduces maintenance costs.

KMM operates based on Kotlin's Multiplatform Project (MPP) support. MPP allows developers to define shared source sets, which can be compiled and run on multiple platforms. This way, developers can focus on writing business logic once and then deploy it to different platforms such as iOS, Android, Web, and even server-side.

2. Core Concepts of KMM

2.1. Shared Code and Platform-Specific Code

A KMM project is typically divided into two parts: shared code and platform-specific code.

  • Shared Code: This is the core business logic of the application, written in Kotlin. Shared code can include data models, network requests, database operations, etc. Shared code is usually placed in a module named shared, which can be referenced by both iOS and Android projects.

  • Platform-Specific Code: This is the code related to platform-specific components, such as UI components and platform-specific API calls. The iOS part is written in Swift or Objective-C, and the Android part is written in Kotlin or Java. Platform-specific code is usually placed in androidApp and iosApp modules.

2.2. Kotlin/Native and Kotlin/JVM

KMM leverages Kotlin/Native and Kotlin/JVM to achieve cross-platform functionality.

  • Kotlin/Native: Allows Kotlin code to be compiled into native binaries that can run on iOS. Kotlin/Native uses the LLVM compiler to compile Kotlin code into machine code, enabling efficient execution on iOS devices.

  • Kotlin/JVM: Allows Kotlin code to be compiled into Java bytecode that can run on Android. Kotlin/JVM uses the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) to execute Kotlin code, allowing seamless integration with existing Java code and libraries.

2.3. Gradle Build System

KMM projects use Gradle as the build system. Gradle scripts define the project's modules, dependencies, and build tasks. A typical KMM project includes the following modules:

  • shared: Contains the shared code module. This module is usually written in Kotlin and includes business logic, data models, network requests, etc.

  • androidApp: Contains the Android-specific code module. This module is usually written in Kotlin or Java and includes Android-specific UI components and API calls.

  • iosApp: Contains the iOS-specific code module. This module is usually written in Swift or Objective-C and includes iOS-specific UI components and API calls.

3. How to Get Started with KMM

3.1. Install Kotlin Plugin

First, ensure that you have installed the Kotlin plugin. You can install this plugin in IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio. The Kotlin plugin provides support for the Kotlin language, enabling you to write and run Kotlin code in the IDE.

3.2. Create a KMM Project

Create a new KMM project in the IDE. The IDE will generate a project structure that includes shared code and platform-specific code. You can choose to use the Kotlin Multiplatform project template to create a KMM project, which will automatically generate the shared code module and platform-specific code modules.

3.3. Write Shared Code

Write shared code in the shared module. You can use Kotlin to write business logic, data models, network requests, etc. The shared code module typically includes the following parts:

  • Business Logic: Handles the core logic of the application, such as data processing and calculations.
  • Data Models: Defines the data structures of the application, such as data classes and enums.
  • Network Requests: Handles network requests and responses, such as using the Ktor library for HTTP requests.

Shared Code Example

Below is a simple shared code example that demonstrates how to define a data model and business logic in the shared module:

// shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/shared/Model.kt
package com.example.shared

data class User(val id: Int, val name: String)

// shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/shared/Repository.kt
package com.example.shared

class UserRepository {
    fun getUser(userId: Int): User {
        // Simulate fetching user data from network or database
        return User(userId, "User $userId")
    }
}
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3.4. Write Platform-Specific Code

Write platform-specific code in the androidApp and iosApp modules. You can use Kotlin or Java to write Android code and Swift or Objective-C to write iOS code. Platform-specific code modules typically include the following parts:

  • UI Components: Define the user interface of the application, such as Activity, Fragment, ViewController, etc.
  • Platform-Specific API Calls: Call platform-specific APIs, such as Android's Camera API and iOS's CoreLocation API.

Android Platform-Specific Code Example

Below is a simple Android platform-specific code example that demonstrates how to use the business logic from the shared module in an Android application:

// androidApp/src/main/java/com/example/androidApp/MainActivity.kt
package com.example.androidApp

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import com.example.shared.UserRepository

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

        val userRepository = UserRepository()
        val user = userRepository.getUser(1)
        println("User: ${user.name}")
    }
}
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iOS Platform-Specific Code Example

Below is a simple iOS platform-specific code example that demonstrates how to use the business logic from the shared module in an iOS application:

// iosApp/iosApp/ViewController.swift
import UIKit
import shared

class ViewController: UIViewController {
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        let userRepository = UserRepository()
        let user = userRepository.getUser(userId: 1)
        print("User: \(user.name)")
    }
}
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3.5. Build and Run the Project

Use the Gradle build system to build and run the project. You can run the Android application on an Android device or emulator and the iOS application on an iOS device or simulator. Gradle scripts define the build tasks and dependencies, making it easy to build and run the project.

# Build the shared module
./gradlew :shared:build

# Build and run the Android application
./gradlew :androidApp:installDebug

# Build and run the iOS application
./gradlew :iosApp:build
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4. Advantages of KMM

4.1. Code Sharing

The biggest advantage of KMM is code sharing. Developers can abstract common business logic into a shared module, which can generate corresponding code for all target platforms. This means that both Android and iOS applications can use the same business logic code. This code reuse significantly reduces development time and also lowers the risk of errors due to platform differences.

4.2. Native Performance

Although KMM allows code sharing, it does not sacrifice native performance. The code generated by KMM is compiled into native machine code on each platform, so the application can achieve performance comparable to or even better than native development. Additionally, KMM allows developers to access platform-specific APIs, enabling them to fully utilize platform features while maintaining native performance.

4.3. Extensibility

KMM is designed to be very flexible, allowing developers to add or modify platform-specific code as needed. This means that when a specific platform requires special handling, developers can easily extend it without affecting the code of other platforms. This extensibility ensures that KMM can meet cross-platform needs while also adapting to the specifics of each platform.

4.4. Kotlin Ecosystem

Kotlin is a modern, statically-typed programming language with concise syntax and powerful features. KMM leverages the advantages of Kotlin, enabling developers to write high-quality code. Kotlin's concise syntax and powerful features allow developers to write code more efficiently, thereby improving development efficiency and code quality.

5. Application Scenarios of KMM

KMM is suitable for various application scenarios, especially those that need to implement similar functionality on multiple platforms. Here are a few typical application scenarios:

5.1. Data Models and API Layer

When building cross-platform applications, data models and the API layer are the easiest parts to share. With KMM, developers can create a shared data model library that provides a unified data structure and interface for all platforms. This way, both Android and iOS applications can seamlessly interact with backend services.

For example, suppose we are developing an e-commerce application that needs to display product lists and process orders on both Android and iOS. We can use KMM to create a shared data model library that contains data classes for products and orders. These data classes have the same structure and behavior on all platforms, so they can be seamlessly used in both Android and iOS applications.

// Shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/ecommerce/model/Product.kt
data class Product(val id: Int, val name: String, val price: Double)

// Shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/ecommerce/model/Order.kt
data class Order(val id: Int, val customerId: Int, val products: List<Product>)
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5.2. Business Logic

Business logic is the core part of the application and often has a high degree of similarity across different platforms. Using KMM, developers can write business logic code once and reuse it across all target platforms. This not only improves development efficiency but also ensures consistency and correctness of the business logic.

Continuing with the e-commerce application example, we can use KMM to create a shared business logic library for handling order creation and updates. This library contains logic that all platforms need to execute, such as validating order information and calculating the total price.

// Shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/ecommerce/business/OrderService.kt
class OrderService {
    fun createOrder(customerId: Int, products: List<Product>): Order {
        // Validate order information and calculate total price
        // ...
        return Order(/* ... */)
    }

    fun updateOrder(orderId: Int, newProducts: List<Product>) {
        // Update products in the order
        // ...
    }
}
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In the Android and iOS applications, we only need to create an instance of OrderService and call the corresponding methods.

// Android/src/main/kotlin/com/example/ecommerce/MainActivity.kt
val orderService = OrderService()
val order = orderService.createOrder(1, listOf(product1, product2))

// iOS/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/example/ecommerce/ViewController.swift
let orderService = OrderService()
let order = orderService.createOrder(1, [product1, product2])
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5.3. Cross-Platform Frameworks

KMM can serve as the foundation for building cross-platform frameworks. For example, developers can create a common network request library that can be used with the same code on both Android and iOS. Such frameworks not only reduce development workload but also improve code quality and maintainability.

Suppose we need to develop a network request library for both Android and iOS applications. We can use KMM to create a shared network request module that contains common logic for sending HTTP requests and handling responses.

// Shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/example/network/HttpClient.kt
class HttpClient {
    suspend fun get(url: String): HttpResponse {
        // Send GET request and return response
        // ...
    }

    suspend fun post(url: String, body: String): HttpResponse {
        // Send POST request and return response
        // ...
    }
}
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In the Android and iOS applications, we only need to create an instance of HttpClient and call the corresponding methods.

// Android/src/main/kotlin/com/example/MainActivity.kt
val httpClient = HttpClient()
val response = httpClient.get("https://api.example.com/products")

// iOS/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/example/ViewController.swift
let httpClient = HttpClient()
let response = httpClient.get("https://api.example.com/products")
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6. Comparison of KMM, React Native, and Flutter

KMM (Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile), React Native, and Flutter are all popular cross-platform mobile development frameworks, each with unique advantages and applicable scenarios. Here is a comparison of the three:

KMM (Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile)

Advantages:

  1. Native Performance: KMM-generated code is compiled into native machine code on each platform, allowing the application to achieve performance comparable to or even better than native development.
  2. Code Sharing: KMM allows developers to share most of the code across multiple platforms, especially the business logic part, significantly reducing development time and maintenance costs.
  3. Kotlin Language: Kotlin is a modern, statically-typed programming language with rich features and concise syntax, increasingly favored by developers.
  4. Native UI Support: KMM allows developers to use each platform's native UI components, providing a native-like user experience.

Applicable Scenarios:

  • Applications with high performance requirements.
  • Applications that need to implement highly similar functionality on multiple platforms.
  • Teams familiar with the Kotlin language.

React Native

Advantages:

  1. Fast Development: React Native offers hot reload functionality, allowing developers to see code changes in real-time without restarting the application, speeding up development.
  2. Cross-Platform Consistency: React Native uses JavaScript and React to build applications, enabling developers to generate applications for both iOS and Android with the same codebase, maintaining UI and user experience consistency.
  3. Large Community Support: React Native has a large developer community, providing rich resources and third-party libraries, making it easier for developers to solve problems and extend functionality.

Applicable Scenarios:

  • Rapid iteration and prototyping.
  • Applications with high requirements for UI consistency and development speed.
  • Teams familiar with JavaScript and React.

Flutter

Advantages:

  1. Fast Development: Flutter also offers hot reload functionality, allowing developers to see code changes in real-time without restarting the application, speeding up development.
  2. Cross-Platform Consistency: Flutter uses the Dart language and a custom rendering engine to generate applications for both iOS and Android, maintaining high UI and user experience consistency.
  3. Rich Component Library: Flutter provides a rich set of pre-built components, such as Material Design and Cupertino-style components, making it easy for developers to quickly build application interfaces.

Applicable Scenarios:

  • Rapid iteration and prototyping.
  • Applications with high requirements for UI consistency and development speed.
  • Teams familiar with the Dart language.

Comparison

  1. Performance: KMM typically offers better native performance, while React Native and Flutter may lag slightly in some scenarios, especially those involving complex animations or graphics rendering.
  2. Development Experience: React Native and Flutter both offer hot reload functionality, providing a faster development experience. KMM relies on Kotlin's instant feedback mechanism.
  3. Language and Ecosystem: KMM uses the Kotlin language, benefiting from its concise syntax and modern features; React Native uses JavaScript, with a large community and mature ecosystem; Flutter uses the Dart language, which is relatively new but has a rapidly growing community.
  4. UI Consistency vs. Native Experience: React Native and Flutter focus more on cross-platform UI consistency, while KMM allows developers to use each platform's native UI components to provide a native-like experience.

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8. Conclusion

KMM is a powerful technology that simplifies cross-platform mobile application development. By sharing a codebase, KMM improves development efficiency, ensures consistency in business logic, and reduces the complexity of maintenance and updates. As the Kotlin ecosystem continues to evolve, KMM will become an important tool for cross-platform mobile application development.

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