kotlin-patterns

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:

fun getUserEmail(userId: String): String {
    val user = userRepository.findById(userId)
    return user?.email ?: "[email protected]"
}

Sealed class for exhaustive results:

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:

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.

// 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 ?: "[email protected]"
}

// 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.

// 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.

// 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
fun isAdult(age: Int): Boolean {
    return age >= 18
}

4. Data Classes for Value Objects

Use data classes for types that primarily hold data.

// Good: Data class with copy, equals, hashCode, toString
data class CreateUserRequest(
    val name: String,
    val email: String,
    val role: Role = Role.USER,
)

// Good: Value class for type safety (zero overhead at runtime)
@JvmInline
value class UserId(val value: String) {
    init {
        require(value.isNotBlank()) { "UserId cannot be blank" }
    }
}

@JvmInline
value class Email(val value: String) {
    init {
        require('@' in value) { "Invalid email: $value" }
    }
}

fun getUser(id: UserId): User = userRepository.findById(id)

Sealed Classes and Interfaces

Modeling Restricted Hierarchies

// Good: Sealed class for exhaustive when
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>()
}

fun <T> Result<T>.getOrNull(): T? = when (this) {
    is Result.Success -> data
    is Result.Failure -> null
    is Result.Loading -> null
}

fun <T> Result<T>.getOrThrow(): T = when (this) {
    is Result.Success -> data
    is Result.Failure -> throw error.toException()
    is Result.Loading -> throw IllegalStateException("Still loading")
}

Sealed Interfaces for API Responses

sealed interface ApiError {
    val message: String

    data class NotFound(override val message: String) : ApiError
    data class Unauthorized(override val message: String) : ApiError
    data class Validation(
        override val message: String,
        val field: String,
    ) : ApiError
    data class Internal(
        override val message: String,
        val cause: Throwable? = null,
    ) : ApiError
}

fun ApiError.toStatusCode(): Int = when (this) {
    is ApiError.NotFound -> 404
    is ApiError.Unauthorized -> 401
    is ApiError.Validation -> 422
    is ApiError.Internal -> 500
}

Scope Functions

When to Use Each

// let: Transform nullable or scoped result
val length: Int? = name?.let { it.trim().length }

// apply: Configure an object (returns the object)
val user = User().apply {
    name = "Alice"
    email = "[email protected]"
}

// also: Side effects (returns the object)
val user = createUser(request).also { logger.info("Created user: ${it.id}") }

// run: Execute a block with receiver (returns result)
val result = connection.run {
    prepareStatement(sql)
    executeQuery()
}

// with: Non-extension form of run
val csv = with(StringBuilder()) {
    appendLine("name,email")
    users.forEach { appendLine("${it.name},${it.email}") }
    toString()
}

Anti-Patterns

// Bad: Nesting scope functions
user?.let { u ->
    u.address?.let { addr ->
        addr.city?.let { city ->
            println(city) // Hard to read
        }
    }
}

// Good: Chain safe calls instead
val city = user?.address?.city
city?.let { println(it) }

Extension Functions

Adding Functionality Without Inheritance

// Good: Domain-specific extensions
fun String.toSlug(): String =
    lowercase()
        .replace(Regex("[^a-z0-9\\s-]"), "")
        .replace(Regex("\\s+"), "-")
        .trim('-')

fun Instant.toLocalDate(zone: ZoneId = ZoneId.systemDefault()): LocalDate =
    atZone(zone).toLocalDate()

// Good: Collection extensions
fun <T> List<T>.second(): T = this[1]

fun <T> List<T>.secondOrNull(): T? = getOrNull(1)

// Good: Scoped extensions (not polluting global namespace)
class UserService {
    private fun User.isActive(): Boolean =
        status == Status.ACTIVE && lastLogin.isAfter(Instant.now().minus(30, ChronoUnit.DAYS))

    fun getActiveUsers(): List<User> = userRepository.findAll().filter { it.isActive() }
}

Coroutines

Structured Concurrency

// Good: Structured concurrency with coroutineScope
suspend fun fetchUserWithPosts(userId: String): UserProfile =
    coroutineScope {
        val userDeferred = async { userService.getUser(userId) }
        val postsDeferred = async { postService.getUserPosts(userId) }

        UserProfile(
            user = userDeferred.await(),
            posts = postsDeferred.await(),
        )
    }

// Good: supervisorScope when children can fail independently
suspend fun fetchDashboard(userId: String): Dashboard =
    supervisorScope {
        val user = async { userService.getUser(userId) }
        val notifications = async { notificationService.getRecent(userId) }
        val recommendations = async { recommendationService.getFor(userId) }

        Dashboard(
            user = user.await(),
            notifications = try {
                notifications.await()
            } catch (e: CancellationException) {
                throw e
            } catch (e: Exception) {
                emptyList()
            },
            recommendations = try {
                recommendations.await()
            } catch (e: CancellationException) {
                throw e
            } catch (e: Exception) {
                emptyList()
            },
        )
    }

Flow for Reactive Streams

// Good: Cold flow with proper error handling
fun observeUsers(): Flow<List<User>> = flow {
    while (currentCoroutineContext().isActive) {
        val users = userRepository.findAll()
        emit(users)
        delay(5.seconds)
    }
}.catch { e ->
    logger.error("Error observing users", e)
    emit(emptyList())
}

// Good: Flow operators
fun searchUsers(query: Flow<String>): Flow<List<User>> =
    query
        .debounce(300.milliseconds)
        .distinctUntilChanged()
        .filter { it.length >= 2 }
        .mapLatest { q -> userRepository.search(q) }
        .catch { emit(emptyList()) }

Cancellation and Cleanup

// Good: Respect cancellation
suspend fun processItems(items: List<Item>) {
    items.forEach { item ->
        ensureActive() // Check cancellation before expensive work
        processItem(item)
    }
}

// Good: Cleanup with try/finally
suspend fun acquireAndProcess() {
    val resource = acquireResource()
    try {
        resource.process()
    } finally {
        withContext(NonCancellable) {
            resource.release() // Always release, even on cancellation
        }
    }
}

Delegation

Property Delegation

// Lazy initialization
val expensiveData: List<User> by lazy {
    userRepository.fin

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