Kotlin Types for Java Developers

Kotlin Types for Java Developers
Chandra Sekar
@iChanSek

Type System in Java
• Primitive Types

Type System in Java
• Primitive Types
• Class Types

Primitive Types - Java
• long

• long
• int

• long
• int
• short

• long
• int
• short
• byte

• long
• int
• short
• byte
• char

• long
• int
• short
• byte
• char
• double

• long
• int
• short
• byte
• char
• double
• ﬂoat

• long
• int
• short
• byte
• char
• double
• ﬂoat
• boolean

Primitive Types - Kotlin
• Long

• Long
• Int

• Long
• Int
• Short

• Long
• Int
• Short
• Byte

• Long
• Int
• Short
• Byte
• Char

• Long
• Int
• Short
• Byte
• Char
• Double

• Long
• Int
• Short
• Byte
• Char
• Double
• Float

• Long
• Int
• Short
• Byte
• Char
• Double
• Float
• Boolean

Primitive Types - Comparison
Java Kotlin

Java Kotlin
long = Long

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short
byte = Byte

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short
byte = Byte
char = Char

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short
byte = Byte
char = Char
double = Double

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short
byte = Byte
char = Char
double = Double
ﬂoat = Float

Java Kotlin
long = Long
int = Int
short = Short
byte = Byte
char = Char
double = Double
ﬂoat = Float
boolean = Boolean

Wrapper Types - Java
• Long
• Integer

• Long
• Integer
• Short

• Long
• Integer
• Short
• Byte

• Long
• Integer
• Short
• Byte
• Character

• Long
• Integer
• Short
• Byte
• Character
• Double

• Long
• Integer
• Short
• Byte
• Character
• Double
• Float

• Long
• Integer
• Short
• Byte
• Character
• Double
• Float
• Boolean

Java Kotlin Java(Wrappers)

long = Long ~ Long

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
short = Short ~ Short

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
byte = Byte ~ Byte

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
byte = Byte ~ Byte
char = Char ~ Character

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
byte = Byte ~ Byte
double = Double ~ Double

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
byte = Byte ~ Byte
ﬂoat = Float ~ Float

long = Long ~ Long
int = Int ~ Integer
byte = Byte ~ Byte
ﬂoat = Float ~ Float
boolean = Boolean ~ Boolean

Example - Primitive Type
int x = 10; // Java - Primitive int

// is Same as
val x: Int = 10 // Kotlin - Primitive int

// is Same as
val x: Int = 10 // Kotlin - Primitive int
// Even more simpler way
val x = 10 // Kotlin - Type inferred as Int

Example - Wrapper Type
Integer x = new Integer(10); // Java - Wrapper Type
Integer y = 10; // Java - Wrapper Type (Auto Boxing)

// Lets assume they are same as
val x: Int = 10
val y = 10

// Lets assume they are same as
val x: Int = 10
val y = 10
// then, how to represent this in Kotlin?
Integer z = null;

Nullable Types
• Kotlin has separate type to handle null.

Nullable Types
• By default all types are non nullable.

Nullable Types
• If you want to assign null, then you have to
declare them as nullable.

Nullable Types
• Syntax - postﬁx corresponding type with ‘?’

Nullable Types
• Syntax - postﬁx corresponding type with ‘?’
• Example - Int?, String?, User?

Back to Previous Example
Integer z = null;

Back to Previous Example
Integer z = null;
// And, the answer is
val z: Int? = null

long = Long ~ Long? = Long

int = Int ~ Int? = Integer

short = Short ~ Short? = Short

byte = Byte ~ Byte? = Byte

char = Char ~ Char? = Character

double = Double ~ Double? = Double

ﬂoat = Float ~ Float? = Float

ﬂoat = Float ~ Float? = Float
boolean = Boolean ~ Boolean? = Boolean

Take Away - Primitive Types
• Kotlin doesn’t have Primitive types explicitly.

• Kotlin compiler chooses Primitive type when
the type is mentioned as non nullable.

• Kotlin compiler chooses Primitive type when
the type is mentioned as non nullable.
• If the type is mentioned as nullable, Kotlin
compiler treats it as a wrapper type.

Class Types - Java
• class String

Class Types - Java
• class String
• interface CharSequence

Class Types - Java
• class String
• enum Color

Class Types - Java
• class String
• enum Color
• class User

Class Types - Java
• class String
• enum Color
• class User
Object is common to all.

Supermost Type
Object (in Java)

Supermost Type
Object (in Java)
is Same as

Supermost Type
Object (in Java)
is Same as
Any (in Kotlin)

Type Hierarchy - Java
Object
String

Object
Integer String

Object
Integer String User

Type Hierarchy - Kotlin
Any
String

Any
Int String

Any
Int String User

Examples
Object obj = new Object();
Object user = new User();
Object str = "Test";
Object integer = 10;

Examples
val any = Any()
val user: Any = User()
val str: Any = "Test"
val int: Any = 10

Examples
val any = Any()
val int: Any = 10
User user = new User();
String str = "Test";
Integer i = 10;

Examples
val any = Any()
val int: Any = 10
Integer i = 10;
val user: User = User()
val str: String = "Test"
val i: Int = 10

Examples
val any = Any()
val int: Any = 10
Integer i = 10;
val user = User()
val str = "Test"
val i = 10
val i: Int = 10

Examples
val any = Any()
val int: Any = 10
Integer i = 10;
val user = User()
val str = "Test"
val i = 10
val i: Int = 10
Type Inferrence

Examples (with null)
Object obj = null;
User user = null;
String str = null;
Integer i = null;

Object obj = null;
User user = null;
String str = null;
Integer i = null;
val any: Any = null
val user: User = null
val str: String = null
val i: Int = null

Object obj = null;
User user = null;
String str = null;
Integer i = null;
val any: Any? = null
val user: User? = null
val str: String? = null
val i: Int? = null

Type Hierarchy (Final) - Java
Object

Object
String

Object
Integer String

Object
Integer String User

Object
Integer String User
null

Any
Int String User
null

Any
Int String User
null then what???

Nothing Type
• A special type that exists but doesn’t represent
any value.

Nothing Type
any value.
• Should be used to mark any code that can
never be reached.

Nothing Type
any value.
• Should be used to mark any code that can
never be reached.
• We can also use it while type inference.

Examples - Nothing Type
val s = person.name ?: throw IllegalArgumentException("Name required")
println(s) // 's' is known to be initialized at this point

Examples - Nothing Type
val s = person.name ?: throw IllegalArgumentException("Name required")
println(s) // 's' is known to be initialized at this point
val x = null // 'x' has type `Nothing?`
val l = listOf(null) // 'l' has type `List<Nothing?>
var user: User? = x

Any
Int String User
Nothing

Type Hierarchy - with null - Kotlin

Any?
Any

Any?
Any
String?
String

Any?
Any
String?
String
Any?
String?

Any?
Any
String?
String
Any?
String?
Any?
String

Type Hierarchy (Final) - Kotlin

Any

Any
String

Any
StringInt

Any
StringInt User

Any
StringInt User
Nothing

Any
StringInt User
Nothing
Any?

Any
StringInt User
Nothing
Any?
String?

Any
StringInt User
Nothing
Any?
String?Int?

Any
StringInt User
Nothing
Any?
String?Int? User?

Any
StringInt User
Nothing
Any?
String?Int? User?
Nothing?

Examples - void and Unit
private void test() {}
private void test() {
return;
}

Examples - void and Unit
private void test() {}
private void test() {
return;
}
private fun test(): Unit {}
private fun test(): Unit {
return Unit
}
private fun test() {}
private fun test(): Unit {}

Array Type
• Kotlin has no [] syntax for creating Arrays.

Array Type
• Kotlin has no [] syntax for creating Arrays.
• Instead it has a special classs called Array<T>

Examples - Array Type
String[] names = new String[10];
String[] colors = new String[] {"Red", "Green", "Blue"};

Examples - Array Type
String[] names = new String[10];
String[] colors = new String[] {"Red", "Green", "Blue"};
val names: Array<String> = emptyArray()
val colors: Array<String> = arrayOf("Red", "Green", "Blue")
val nulls: Array<String?> = arrayOfNulls(10)

Examples - Array of Primitive Type

int[] numbers = new int[10];
int[] nums = new int[] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

int[] nums = new int[] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
val numbers: Array<Int> = emptyArray()
val nums: Array<Int> = arrayOf(2, 3, 4)
val nulls: Array<Int?> = arrayOfNulls(10)

int[] nums = new int[] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
} Integer[]

int[] nums = new int[] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
val nums: IntArray = intArrayOf(1, 2, 3)
val longs: LongArray = longArrayOf(1L, 2L, 3L)
} Integer[]

int[] nums = new int[] {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
val nums: IntArray = intArrayOf(1, 2, 3)
val longs: LongArray = longArrayOf(1L, 2L, 3L)
} Integer[]
} int[]

Nullable Types - Interoperability

Since Java doesn’t have nullable types, we need
to take extra care of our code while taking
adventage of interoperability.

// Test.java
public class Test {
public String test() {
return null;
}
}

// Test.java
public class Test {
return null;
}
}
// TestKotlin.kt
class Test {
private test() {
val test = Test()
test.test().toString()
}
}

// Test.java
public class Test {
return null;
}
}
// TestKotlin.kt
class Test {
private test() {
val test = Test()
}
}
This will lead to NPE

How to avoid such NPE?
// Test.java
public class Test {
@Nullable
return null;
}
}

// TestKotlin.kt
class Test {
private test() {
val test = Test()
}
}
// Test.java
public class Test {
@Nullable
return null;
}
}

// TestKotlin.kt
class Test {
private test() {
val test = Test()
}
}
Now no NPE as it fails at Compile Time
// Test.java
public class Test {
@Nullable
return null;
}
}

Take Away
• Kotlin has no primitive and wrapper type
speartely.

Take Away
speartely.
• Nullable and Non-Nullable values are two
separate types.

Take Away
speartely.
separate types.
• By default all types are Non-Nullable.

Take Away
speartely.
separate types.
• By default all types are Non-Nullable.
• Type and Type? are not same.

Take Away - Continued…
• Object in Java is same as Any in Kotlin.

• void in Java is same as Unit in Kotlin.

• Nothing is not same as Unit or void.

• Nothing is converted into void in byte code
level as JVM doesn’t has it.

• Nothing is converted into void in byte code
level as JVM doesn’t has it.
• Always annotate your Java types to avoid NPE
in Kotlin world.

Thank You
Chandra Sekhar
@iChanSek

Kotlin Types for Java Developers

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