Before you can start writing programs in Kotlin, you need to set up your first project. This process involves creating a new project in your chosen development environment, adding a Kotlin file, and writing a simple program to ensure everything is working. Typically, you will begin by opening your IDE (such as IntelliJ IDEA), selecting the option to create a new Kotlin project, and configuring the basic settings. Once your project is ready, you add a Kotlin source file where you will write your code.

The first program you usually write is a simple one that prints a message to the screen. This helps confirm that your development environment is set up correctly and that you can run Kotlin code successfully. The most common message to print is "Hello, World!", which is a tradition in programming tutorials.

Here is how you can write a basic Kotlin program:

In this code, you see the main building blocks of a Kotlin program. The package com.example line declares the package name, which helps organize your code. The fun main() line defines the main function, which is the entry point of every Kotlin application. Inside the main function, the println("Hello, World!") statement outputs the text "Hello, World!" to the console. When you run this program, you will see the message displayed, confirming that your setup is correct and your Kotlin environment is ready for further development.