Kotlin Programming Essentials: Build a Strong Foundation
Master the fundamentals of Kotlin with this hands-on codelab and build a strong programming foundation. Learn Kotlin’s role in Android, backend, and multiplatform development while setting up your development environment with essential tools. Explore Kotlin syntax, type inference, and control flow using if, when, loops, and ranges. Write clean, efficient code using functions, extension functions, and scope functions. Gain hands-on experience with null safety, exception handling, and collections, and dive into object-oriented programming concepts like classes, inheritance, data classes, and sealed classes. Finally, learn how to optimize performance with inline functions and tail recursion, apply best practices, and follow Kotlin’s official coding conventions. Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate developer, this codelab will help you write idiomatic Kotlin code confidently.
Codelab Objectives
In this codelab, you’ll explore:
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Set Up and Get Started with Kotlin
Install and configure a Kotlin development environment with essential tools
Understand Kotlin’s role in Android, backend, and multiplatform projects -
Master Kotlin’s FundamentalsWrite basic Kotlin syntax, define variables, and use type inference
Work with the main() function and handle standard input/output
Use arithmetic and logical operators in expressions
Utilize string templates for dynamic text interpolation -
Control Flow and FunctionsImplement control flow using if, when, loops, and ranges
Define and call functions with parameters and return values
Organize code with local functions
Use default arguments, named parameters, and vararg in functions
Write single-expression functions for cleaner code
Implement infix functions and operator overloading for concise syntax -
Type System, Null Safety & Exception Handling
Perform type checks and smart casts for safe conversions
Ensure null safety with nullable types and safe calls (?., ?:)
Handle exceptions using try-catch, require(), and check() -
Collections with Basic Functional Code
Work with lists, sets, and maps in Kotlin
Use extension functions to enhance existing classes
Master scope functions (apply, with, let, also, run) for cleaner code -
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Kotlin
Define classes, constructors, and inheritance
Apply Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, and Abstraction
Work with properties, initialization blocks, and companion objects
Use visibility modifiers (private, protected, internal, public) -
Advanced Kotlin Features
Leverage data classes and their auto-generated methods (copy())Implement sealed classes, interfaces, and enums for structured type hierarchies
Improve readability with type aliases
Optimize performance using inline functionsImplement tail recursion to optimize recursive functions -
Kotlin Best Practices & Performance Optimizations
Understand structural (==) vs. referential (===) equality and array comparisons
Override equals() and hashCode() for custom equality logic
Use the this keyword in member functions and extension functions
Apply destructuring declarations to unpack objects into variables
Work with annotations, meta-annotations, and repeatable annotations (@Target)
Follow Kotlin coding conventions and best practices
Codelab Content
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