How to Successfully Develop a Kotlin Multiplatform Conference Application

Sep 3, 2023 | Programming

Creating a robust multiplatform application is an exciting endeavor! With Kotlin Multiplatform, you can share code between iOS and Android platforms, integrating libraries from both ecosystems to enhance your app’s functionality. In this guide, we’ll walk through developing a real-life conference application featuring an iOS frontend through SwiftUI, an Android frontend using Jetpack Compose, and a Kotlin backend hosted on App Engine.

Project Setup

Before diving into the code, it’s essential to set up your development environment:

  • Install Kotlin and set up your IDE, like IntelliJ IDEA.
  • Create two separate projects: one for iOS and one for Android.
  • Configure a Kotlin backend hosted on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
  • Ensure all necessary dependencies and libraries are imported.

Backend Features

Your backend needs to handle various functionalities essential for any conference, including:

Mobile Features

For the mobile applications, implement features that enhance user experience:

  • Select your conference from a list.
  • View the conference schedule.
  • Bookmark talks that interest you.
  • Access speaker pages featuring biographies and social links.
  • Use a networking space with a focus on privacy.
  • Discover partners with descriptions, social links, job postings, and locations.
  • Interact on the event page with social links, location, menus, Q&A, and code of conduct.
  • Scan your event ticket for easy entry.
  • Enjoy your conference experience!

Building with the Right Tools

To create your application, you’ll leverage a robust set of technologies:

Testing Locally

To ensure everything runs smoothly, you’ll need to test your application locally:


# Start Firebase emulators
firebase login # Log in if not done 
firebase emulators:start --project $RANDOM_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID
# Start App Engine server
export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=path/to/key.json
export PROJECT_ID=$RANDOM_FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID
export BASE_URL_CONFERENCE_HALL=conference-hall.io
./gradlew :backend:installDist
./backend/build/install/backend/bin/backend

Deploying in GCP

When ready to deploy, follow these steps:

Prerequisites

  • Create your Gcloud app using: gcloud app create
  • Enable billing on your GCP project.
  • Enable necessary services (Cloud Build, Firestore, and Secret Manager).
  • Store your geocoding API key in Secret Manager.

Deploy with App Engine


# Edit app.yaml with your project ID before deploying
export PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
gcloud auth login # If not yet logged in
gcloud config set project $PROJECT_ID
./gradlew :backend:appengineDeploy

Deploy with Cloud Run


export PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
gcloud auth login # If not yet logged in
gcloud config set project $PROJECT_ID
gcloud run deploy confily --source . --platform managed --port 8080 --region europe-west1 --set-env-vars=PROJECT_ID=$PROJECT_ID --allow-unauthenticated

Troubleshooting Tips

As with any complex project, you may encounter some challenges along the way. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

  • If your app does not compile, check for mismatched dependencies or outdated libraries.
  • Ensure that your project IDs in configuration files are correct.
  • If you face network-related issues, verify your Firebase and GCP settings.
  • For deploying issues, double-check that billing accounts are enabled and the necessary permissions are granted to services.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Stay Informed with the Newest F(x) Insights and Blogs

Tech News and Blog Highlights, Straight to Your Inbox

Let’s Build Success Together