Kotlin is a statically typed programming language that targets the JVM, Android, JavaScript, and Native. It is an open-source, pragmatic language with powerful features.
Kotlin is interoperable with existing Java code, making it easy for developers to get started with it.
In this article, we will explore Kotlin's interfaces and how they can be used to implement multiple inheritance.
An interface is a contract that specifies what a class must do, but it does not specify how the class does it.
Interfaces are a key feature of Kotlin and are used to define behavior that a class must implement.
For example, let's say we have a class that represents a vehicle. This class might have a property for the number of wheels and a function for driving.
interface Driveable {
fun drive()
}
class Vehicle(val wheels: Int) : Driveable {
override fun drive() {
// drive the vehicle
}
}
In the example above, we have defined an interface called Driveable that has a single function called drive(). We have then created a class called Vehicle that implements this interface.
Interfaces in Kotlin can inherit from other interfaces. This allows us to create complex interfaces that can be reused in multiple classes.
For example, let's say we have an interface for a vehicle that can be driven on the road, and another interface for a vehicle that can be driven on the water.
interface Driveable {
fun drive()
}
interface RoadVehicle : Driveable {
fun driveOnRoad()
}
interface WaterVehicle : Driveable {
fun driveOnWater()
}
In the example above, we have defined an interface called Driveable that has a single function called drive(). We have then created two interfaces that inherit from Driveable, called RoadVehicle and WaterVehicle.
We can now create a class that implements both of these interfaces.
class AmphibiousVehicle(val wheels: Int) : RoadVehicle, WaterVehicle {
override fun drive() {
// drive the vehicle
}
override fun driveOnRoad() {
// drive on the road
}
override fun driveOnWater() {
// drive on the water
}
}
In the example above, we have created a class called AmphibiousVehicle that implements both the RoadVehicle and WaterVehicle interfaces.
This allows us to create classes that can be used in multiple situations, without having to duplicate code.
In this article, we have explored Kotlin's interfaces and how they can be used to implement multiple inheritance.
Interfaces are a powerful tool that can be used to create complex and reusable code.
If you are new to Kotlin, then I recommend you check out our other articles on Kotlin to learn more about this powerful language.