Optimizing Kotlin: Best Practices for High-Performing Apps

Performance optimization is often considered an afterthought in the software development lifecycle. However, in today’s competitive landscape, delivering a high-performing application can make all the difference. Kotlin, with its modern syntax and features, offers a plethora of tools and techniques to help you achieve optimal performance. This article aims to be your definitive guide to performance optimization in Kotlin, covering everything from basic best practices to advanced strategies.

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“We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.” — Donald Knuth

While the quote from Donald Knuth advises against premature optimization, it’s essential to know how to optimize when the time is right. Let’s dive into the various techniques you can employ to turbocharge your Kotlin code.

Basic Techniques for Performance Optimization

Favoring Immutability with val

Immutability can make your code more predictable and easier to maintain, which indirectly contributes to performance.

// Prefer using val for immutable variables
val immutableVariable = "I can't be changed"

// Avoid using var for mutable variables unless…