A smaller type is a type that occupies fewer bytes in memory or represents a child of the current type in an inheritance hierarchy. An example of a type cast operation is the transformation of an integer into a string.Ĭonverting a type to a smaller type is called downcasting. Also, in some cases, it can be performed automatically behind the scenes by the interpreter or compiler. This generally happens through some operators or particular syntax. Type casting, also called type conversion, is the process of converting a variable from one data type to another. Implicit type casting with Kotlin smart casts.Explicit type casting with Kotlin cast operators.So, let’s dive into type casting in Kotlin and see everything you need to learn to master safe and unsafe type casts, and more. Mastering type casting in Kotlin takes time, but it plays such a crucial role in the language that every Kotlin developer should be able to employ it effectively. This is why Kotlin introduced two operators to equip you with everything you need to deal with type casting: the safe operator and the unsafe operator.

But as you can imagine, this transformation operation is tricky and may fail or lead to unexpected results. Type casting gives the ability to convert a particular type into a smaller or larger type. To enable developers to achieve this goal, these programming languages introduced the concept of type casting. Let’s have a look at everything you need to know to start dealing with safe and unsafe Kotlin type casting like a pro.Īn indispensable feature of object-oriented programming languages is the ability to convert one type to another. Spreading knowledge through writing is my mission. For better interoperability, Kotlin extends its static type function with moderate and flow elements.Antonello Zanini Follow I'm a software engineer, but I prefer to call myself a technology bishop. Moreover, it grants compile time among nullable and non-nullable types obtaining null safety. Kotlin also aids compilation platforms like JavaScript, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and Native.

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