Which IDE should we be using for Kotlin KMP development? This seems like it should be a simple quest...

# getting-started

[Jeff Avery]

Which IDE should we be using for Kotlin KMP development? This seems like it should be a simple question, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to answer. For context, I teach Kotlin, and I would like to point my students towards a single set of installation instructions/toolchain setup. However, it seems that (a) IntelliJ IDEA is increasingly meant for server-side Kotlin only, (b) Fleet is meant for KMP and Compose Multiplatform (see Hadi’s Fleet announcements for context), and (c) Android Studio is KMP and/or Android-first.

So what should I be using in class? Students can’t mix and match b/c a project created in one IDE isn’t usually usable in the others (b/c plugin versions differ across Android Studio and IntelliJ/Fleet, so you get errors). I thought I might even recommend Fleet except that the recent versions won’t open projects created with the online KMP project wizard without throwing errors.

Edit: to clarify, I’d love my students to be able to create desktop + Android MP + Ktor server projects. Currently the steps are (a) Install IntelliJ, (b) install Android Studio for the SDK, (c) use IntelliJ as your main IDE (for Ktor support). Don’t switch or you will break the project. Is that the best-setup?

[CLOVIS]

Currently the steps are (a) Install IntelliJ, (b) install Android Studio for the SDK, (c) use IntelliJ as your main IDE (for Ktor support). Don’t switch or you will break the project.

I'm not sure if there's a better way, but that is how I do it as well.

[Stefan Oltmann]

I use IntelliJ IDEA for everything. The Android Plugin brings the SDK manager and AVD.
You are right about Fleet in the future, but right now KMP dev is totally possible in IDEA and I will use that as long as possible.

[Klitos Kyriacou]

I find that the more plugins I have enabled, the longer it takes IntelliJ IDEA to start up. So perhaps using Android Studio separately might have an advantage.

[Stefan Oltmann]

That's true. I usually keep IDEA open all the time. 😉

[Stefan Oltmann]

I'm not too much into plugins. I have only downloaded these:
• Android
• Compose Multiplatform IDE Support
• Detekt
• SonarLint
• SQLDelight

[CLOVIS]

I have a dozen or so added plugins, but honestly I don't really care about startup time. I open IDEA once in the morning, and that's it. Whether it takes 30s or 1min doesn't make much difference.

[CLOVIS]

(and it's usually in the 20–30s)

[CLOVIS]

I do care about indexing time, since that happens a lot more often, but I don't believe this is impacted much by plugins

[Stefan Oltmann]

I put my MacBook to sleep after work and the next day I open it up.
No need to open IDEA if I don't need to restart my device, which I only do for system updates.

[Stefan Oltmann]

Yes, coming from Eclipse this was my first villain.... "Indexing..."
First it's really ridiculous, but I guess by now I'm used to it. 😄

[CLOVIS]

it's got much, much faster in the last years 🙂

[Stefan Oltmann]

Thanks to Apple Silicon 😛

[Stefan Oltmann]

And general hardware improvements. ^^

[CLOVIS]

lol no, I'm a Linux guy

[CLOVIS]

but shared indexes and performance updates on their side, JB is really hard at work

[Stefan Oltmann]

I remember how super fast IDEA & Android Studio were on my MacBook Air M1 as it was released.

[Stefan Oltmann]

By now IDEA kept up and is nearly back at old speeds. 😄

[CLOVIS]

you mean, after 6 months when they managed to get it to run at all?

[Stefan Oltmann]

😄