Kotlin Interview Questions and Answers

Ques 1. What do you understand about function extension in the context of Kotlin? Explain.

In Kotlin, we can add or delete method functionality using extensions, even without inheriting or altering them. Extensions are statistically resolved. It provides a callable function that may be invoked with a dot operation, rather than altering the existing class.

Function Extension - Kotlin allows users to specify a method outside of the main class via function extension. We\'ll see how the extension is implemented at the functional level in the following example:

// KOTLIN
class Sample { 
  var str : String = "null"    
  fun printStr() {     
    print(str) 
  }        
}
fun main(args: Array) { 
  var  a = Sample() 
  a.str = "Without" 
  var  b = Sample() 
  b.str = "Book" 
  var  c = Sample() 
  c.str = a.add(b) 
  c.printStr()
}
// function extension
fun Sample.add(a : Sample):String{ 
  var temp = Sample() 
  temp.str = this.str + \" \" +a.str return temp.str
}

Output:-

Without Book

Ques 2. What do you understand about Companion Object in the context of Kotlin?

In some languages, such as Java, the static keyword is used to declare class members and utilise them without creating an object, i.e. by simply calling them by their class name. In Kotlin, there is nothing called the “static” keyword. So, if we want to achieve the functionality of static member functions, we use the companion objects. This is also referred to as Object Extension. 

// Syntax in KOTLIN
class CompanionClass {    
  companion object CompanionObjectName {      
    // code    
  }
}
val obj = CompanionClass.CompanionObjectName

// KOTLIN
class CompanionClass {   
  companion object {     
    // code   
  }
}
val obj = CompanionClass.Companion

class Sample {   
  companion object Test {       
    var a: Int = 1       
    fun testFunction() = println("Companion Object’s Member function called.")   
  }
}
fun main(args: Array) {   
  println(Sample.a)   
  Sample.testFunction()
}

1Companion Object’s Member function called.

Ques 3. What are the advantages of Kotlin over Java?

Following are the advantages of Kotlin over Java:

Ques 4. Which one is better to use - val mutableList or var immutableList in the context of Kotlin?

The program's design clarity is improved by using mutable and immutable lists. This is done to have the developer think about and clarify the collection's purpose.

We use a mutable list if the collection will alter as part of the design. On the other hand, we use an immutable list if the model is only meant to be viewed.

Val and var serve a distinct purpose than immutable and mutable lists. The val and var keywords specify how a variable's value/reference should be handled. We use var when the value or reference of a variable can be altered at any moment. On the other hand, we use val when a variable's value/reference can only be assigned once and cannot be modified later in the execution.

Immutable lists are frequently preferred for a variety of reasons:

• They promote functional programming, in which state is passed on to the next function, which constructs a new state based on it, rather than being altered. This is evident in Kotlin collection methods like map, filter, reduce, and so forth.
• It's often easier to understand and debug software that doesn't have any side effects (you can be sure that the value of an object will always be the one at its definition).
• Because no write access is required in multi-threaded systems, immutable resources cannot induce race conditions.

However, there are some disadvantages of using immutable lists as well. They are as follows :

• Copying large collections simply to add/remove a single piece is very expensive.
• When you need to alter single fields frequently, immutability can make the code more difficult. Data classes in Kotlin provide a built-in copy() method that allows you to clone an instance while changing only part of the fields' values.

Ques 5. What do you understand about lateinit in Kotlin? When would you consider using it?

lateinit is an abbreviation for late initiation. If you don\'t want to initialize a variable in the constructor and instead want to do it later, and you can guarantee the initialization before using it, use the lateinit keyword to declare that variable. It won\'t start allocating memory until it\'s been initialized. Lateinit cannot be used for primitive type attributes like Int, Long, and so on. Because the lateinit variable will be initialized later, you cannot use val. When a lateinit property is accessed before it has been initialized, a special exception is thrown that explicitly identifies the property and the fact that it hasn\'t been initialized.

// KOTLIN
lateinit var test: Stringfun testFunction() {   
  test = "Interview"   
  println("The length of string is "+test.length)   
  test = "Book"
}

9 

Ques 6. Explain lazy initialization in the context of Kotlin.

// KOTLIN
class FastClass {   
  private val slowObject: SlowClass = SlowClass()
}

class FastClass {   
  private val slowObject: SlowClass by lazy {       
    SlowClass()   
  }  
}

// KOTLIN
class FastClass {   
  private val slowObject: SlowClass by lazy {       
    println("Slow Object initialised")       
    SlowClass()   
  }       
  fun access() {       
    println(slowObject)   
  }
}
fun main(args: Array) {   
  val fastClass = FastClass()   
  println("FastClass initialised")   
  fastClass.access()   
  fastClass.access()
}

FastClass initialised 
Slow Object initialised 
SlowClass@2b12fkk7 
SlowClass@2b12fkk7

Ques 7. Differentiate between lateinit and lazy initialisation. Explain the cases when you should use lateinit and when you should use lazy initialisation.

Ques 8. What do you understand about coroutines in the context of Kotlin?

Ques 9. Explain scope functions in the context of Kotlin. What are the different types of Scope functions available in Kotlin?

The Kotlin standard library includes numerous functions that aid in the execution of a block of code within the context of an object. When you use a lambda expression to call these functions on an object, temporary scope is created. These functions are referred to as Scope functions. The object of these functions can be accessed without knowing its name. Scope functions make code more clear, legible, and succinct, which are key qualities of the Kotlin programming language.

Ques 10. Explain suspend function in the context of Kotlin.

A function that may be started, halted, then resumed is known as a suspend function. One of the most important things to remember about the suspend functions is that they can only be invoked from another suspend function or from a coroutine. Suspending functions are merely standard Kotlin functions with the suspend modifier added, indicating that they can suspend coroutine execution without blocking the current thread. This means that the code you're looking at may pause execution when it calls a suspending function and restart execution at a later time. However, it makes no mention of what will happen to the present thread in the meantime.

Ques 11. What do you understand about sealed classes in Kotlin?

Kotlin introduces a crucial new form of class that isn't seen in Java. These are referred to as "sealed classes." Sealed classes, as the name implies, adhere to constrained or bounded class hierarchies. A sealed class is one that has a set of subclasses. When it is known ahead of time that a type will conform to one of the subclass types, it is employed. Type safety (that is, the compiler will validate types during compilation and throw an exception if a wrong type has been assigned to a variable) is ensured through sealed classes, which limit the types that can be matched at compile time rather than runtime.

Ques 12. What do you understand about the backing field in Kotlin?

var marks: Int = someValue       
get() = field       
set(value) {           
  field = value       
}

Ques 13. Differentiate between launch / join and async / await in Kotlin.

Ques 14. What are some of the disadvantages of Kotlin?

Following are some of the disadvantages of Kotlin:

• In Kotlin, there are a few keywords that have non-obvious meanings: internal, crossinline, expect, reified, sealed, inner, open. Java has none of these.
• Checked exceptions are likewise absent in Kotlin. Although checked exceptions have become less prominent, many programmers believe them to be an effective technique to ensure that their code is stable.
• A lot of what happens in Kotlin is hidden. You can almost always trace the logic of a program in Java. When it comes to bug hunting, this can be really useful. If you define a data class in Kotlin, getters, setters, equality testing, tostring, and hashcode are automatically added for you.
• Learning resources are limited. The number of developers who are moving to Kotlin is growing, yet there is a small developer community accessible to help them understand the language or address problems during development.
• Kotlin has variable compilation speed. In some situations, Kotlin outperforms Java, particularly when executing incremental builds. However, we must remember that when it comes to clean builds, Java is the clear winner.