Android: Kotlin Talk #002 - ABC Kotlin Basics

Kotlin's core syntax is the foundation of the language.

Kotlin’s core syntax lays the foundation for clean, maintainable, and expressive code.
Here are some quick essentials ⬇️

🔹 Core Concepts

• Variables: val (immutable) & var (mutable)

• Data types: Int, String, Boolean, Double

• Control flow: if/else, powerful when expression

• Loops: for, while (over ranges, collections, arrays)

🔹Example

Kotlin snippet is a neat little showcase of basic language features:

1. Variable declaration

    val name: String = "Kotlin" // Immutable (read-only)
    var version: Double = 1.9   // Mutable
   

   • val → read-only, can’t be reassigned.

   • var → mutable, can be updated.

2. Control flow with if

    if (version > 1.8) {
        println("$name is up to date.")
    } else {
        println("$name needs an update.")
    }
   

   • Uses string templates ($name) for cleaner output.

   • Works just like in Java, but is also an expression in Kotlin (could return a value).

3. Control flow with when

    when (name) {
        "Kotlin" -> println("Current language is Kotlin.")
        "Java" -> println("Legacy language detected.")
        else -> println("Unknown language.")
    }
   

   • More readable than multiple if-else statements.

   • No need for break like in Java’s switch.

4. for loop

    for (i in 1..5) {
        print("$i ")
    }
   

   • 1..5 creates a closed range (includes both 1 and 5).

   • Prints numbers in sequence with spaces.

✅ Best Practices

• Prefer val over var → promotes immutability & safer code

• Use type inference for concise code, but declare types when it improves readability

• Use when for complex conditions instead of multiple if–else if blocks

• Leverage string templates for cleaner formatting

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

• Using var unnecessarily → can cause unexpected side effects

• Overly complex nested if–else instead of when

• Forgetting 1..5 in for loops is inclusive of 5

💡 Mastering these small but impactful details can help you write Kotlin code that’s cleaner, safer, and more maintainable.

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Happy Coding !!!

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