I already wrote about 2kloc of Kotlin code in mixed Java/Scala/Kotlin environment. This sugestion is based on practical experience with Kotlin code.
I have concern about the way null-safety affect interaction with existing Java code. I feel return values from Java code should be non-null by default. And compiler should add ‘!!’ on each Java call, to stop NPE sneaking into Kotlin code.
***
Right now “java-nullable-by-default” feels bit like the Checked Exceptions in Java. It forces you to pay price for (maybe unwanted) benefit. “Java-nullable-by-default” does not provide aditional security. It forces people to use sure (!!) operator and teaches them to ignore nulls. I feel existing projects should be converted to null-safe code incrementaly, and it is hard with habit “oh just another null-able to ignore”.
It can also lead to incorrect code. Consider code bellow. I know '?' operator is questionable. But it is common in Groovy and other languages, sure '!!' operator is nevelty. Nullable-by-default may actually force people to use '?' on massive scale. val out = JavaCode.openStream();
out?.print("something");
***Other point is current direction of null-safety in Java. Some tools provide annotation based null-safety warnings (Idea, Eclipse, Findbugs). Some libraries already use @Nullable annotations (Guava for example). In future @Nullable annotation will be part of Java Standard Library.Usually people avoid using @NotNull for verbosity. Instead they assumme code is null-safe and only annotate exceptions with @Nullable. Guava is huge example of this. If this approach will become mainstream, it would isolate Kotlin and made it very allien.***External annotations are not solution for Java-nullable-by-default problem. There are gigabytes of existing code. It is simply not possible to annotate all of it."Java-nullable-by-default" increases learning and adoption curve. It feels like Scala type system, it hits you into face after typing just a few lines in Kotlin editor. Even my simple-hobby app uses 20MB of field specific Java libraries, which I will have to annotate myself. Imagine large corporation choosing between Kotlin, Scala or Ceylon.Also 'Java-nullable-by-default' goes agaist principle of annotations (metadata). Default values should be set sensibly. We should not have to annotate every single method in universe. Only exceptions such as 'Map.get()' should be annotated.