The val and var keywords in Kotlin are used to declare variables with different levels of mutability:
val: Declares an immutable variable (read-only). Once initialized, the value of a val cannot be changed throughout the execution of the program. Immutable variables are similar to constants in other programming languages.
var: Declares a mutable variable, meaning its value can be reassigned multiple times during the execution of the program. Mutable variables provide flexibility when the value needs to be updated or modified dynamically.
Here’s an example illustrating the difference between val and var:
kotlin
val immutableVariable: Int = 10
var mutableVariable: String = “Hello, Kotlin!”
// Trying to reassign values to immutable and mutable variables
immutableVariable = 20 // This will result in a compilation error because ‘val’ variables cannot be reassigned
mutableVariable = “Hello, World!” // This is valid since ‘var’ variables can be reassigned
The choice between val and var depends on whether the variable needs to be immutable or mutable throughout the program’s execution. Immutable variables (val) offer safety and predictability, while mutable variables (var) provide flexibility but may require careful management to prevent unintended changes.
