kotlin-patterns

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# Kotlin Development Patterns

Idiomatic Kotlin patterns and best practices for building robust, efficient, and maintainable applications.

## When to Use

- Writing new Kotlin code
- Reviewing Kotlin code
- Refactoring existing Kotlin code
- Designing Kotlin modules or libraries
- Configuring Gradle Kotlin DSL builds

## How It Works

This skill enforces idiomatic Kotlin conventions across seven key areas: null safety using the type system and safe-call operators, immutability via `val` and `copy()` on data classes, sealed classes and interfaces for exhaustive type hierarchies, structured concurrency with coroutines and `Flow`, extension functions for adding behaviour without inheritance, type-safe DSL builders using `@DslMarker` and lambda receivers, and Gradle Kotlin DSL for build configuration.

## Examples

**Null safety with Elvis operator:**
```kotlin
fun getUserEmail(userId: String): String {
    val user = userRepository.findById(userId)
    return user?.email ?: "unknown@example.com"
}
```

**Sealed class for exhaustive results:**
```kotlin
sealed class Result<out T> {
    data class Success<T>(val data: T) : Result<T>()
    data class Failure(val error: AppError) : Result<Nothing>()
    data object Loading : Result<Nothing>()
}
```

**Structured concurrency with async/await:**
```kotlin
suspend fun fetchUserWithPosts(userId: String): UserProfile =
    coroutineScope {
        val user = async { userService.getUser(userId) }
        val posts = async { postService.getUserPosts(userId) }
        UserProfile(user = user.await(), posts = posts.await())
    }
```

## Core Principles

### 1. Null Safety

Kotlin's type system distinguishes nullable and non-nullable types. Leverage it fully.

```kotlin
// Good: Use non-nullable types by default
fun getUser(id: String): User {
    return userRepository.findById(id)
        ?: throw UserNotFoundException("User $id not found")
}

// Good: Safe calls and Elvis operator
fun getUserEmail(userId: String): String {
    val user = userRepository.findById(userId)
    return user?.email ?: "unknown@example.com"
}

// Bad: Force-unwrapping nullable types
fun getUserEmail(userId: String): String {
    val user = userRepository.findById(userId)
    return user!!.email // Throws NPE if null
}
```

### 2. Immutability by Default

Prefer `val` over `var`, immutable collections over mutable ones.

```kotlin
// Good: Immutable data
data class User(
    val id: String,
    val name: String,
    val email: String,
)

// Good: Transform with copy()
fun updateEmail(user: User, newEmail: String): User =
    user.copy(email = newEmail)

// Good: Immutable collections
val users: List<User> = listOf(user1, user2)
val filtered = users.filter { it.email.isNotBlank() }

// Bad: Mutable state
var currentUser: User? = null // Avoid mutable global state
val mutableUsers = mutableListOf<User>() // Avoid unless truly needed
```

### 3. Expression Bodies and Single-Expression Functions

Use expression bodies for concise, readable functions.

```kotlin
// Good: Expression body
fun isAdult(age: Int): Boolean = age >= 18

fun formatFullName(first: String, last: String): String =
    "$first $last".trim()

fun User.displayName(): String =
    name.ifBlank { email.substringBefore('@') }

// Good: When as expression
fun statusMessage(code: Int): String = when (code) {
    200 -> "OK"
    404 -> "Not Found"
    500 -> "Internal Server Error"
    else -> "Unknown status: $code"
}

// Bad: Unnecessary block body

From ViewWay/hermes-by-everythings, MIT.

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