Kotlin Essential Training: Functions, Collections, and I/O

Course details

If you’re looking to get up and running with Kotlin, the powerful programming language from JetBrains, this course gives you the tools you need to start writing command-line programs in a matter of hours. Join instructor Nate Ebel, the author of Mastering Kotlin, as he shows you the ins and out of Kotlin and walks you through its unique selling points for developers—from null safety and concise syntax to Java compatibility, to full support by Google for Android development.

Get a comprehensive overview of writing code in Kotlin, including the basics of data types, variables, statements, expressions, functions, and classes. Learn how to use the essential features of this powerful, interoperable language as well as effectively debug your code. Along the way, Nate gives you expert pointers on how to write safe and efficient multithreaded code using Kotlin coroutines to manage multiple tasks at the same time.

Concepts

Introduction

Welcome to Kotlin
What you should know
Using the exercise files on GitHub

Setting Up Your Kotlin Development Environment

Introducing IntelliJ IDEA
Installing IntelliJ IDEA for macOS
Installing IntelliJ IDEA for Windows
Run your first Kotlin code

Common Data Types

Mutable and immutable data types
Numeric data types
Char and string data types
Nullable types

Working with Functions

Basic functions
Function parameters
Functional types
Higher-order functions
Challenge - Write a name formatter function
Solution - Write a name formatter function

Control Flow Structures

if and when statements
Statements vs. expressions
try catch as control flow
Smart casting
while loops
for loops
Challenge - Replace an if else expression with a when expression
Solution - Replace an if else expression with a when expression

Debugging Kotlin Code

Setting breakpoints
Stepping through code
Evaluate expressions and add watches

Working with Collections

Arrays
Lists
Sets and maps
Working with collections
Sequences
Challenge - Filtering a list of data
Solution - Filtering a list of data

Working with Inputs and Outputs

Command-line arguments
Receiving user input
Read and write to files
Challenge - Parsing a list of data from a file
Solution - Parsing a list of data from a file

Testing Kotlin Code

Writing JUnit tests
Mocking data

Conclusion

Next steps