The Iterator Design Pattern in Kotlin: Simplified and Explained

When working with collections or data structures in Kotlin (or any programming language), iterating through elements is a common task. But what if you need greater control over how you traverse a collection? This is where the Iterator Design Pattern comes into play. In this article, we’ll delve into the concept of the Iterator Design Pattern, its practical implementation in Kotlin, and break it down step by step for better understanding.

Iterator Design Pattern

To iterate simply means to repeat an action. In software, iteration can be achieved using either recursion or loop structures, like for and while loops. When we need to provide functionality for iteration in a class, we often use something called an iterator.

Now, let’s talk about aggregates. Think of an aggregate as a collection of objects. It could be implemented in various forms, such as an array, a vector, or even a binary tree — essentially, any structure that holds multiple objects.

The iterator design pattern offers a structured way to handle how aggregates and their iterators are implemented. This pattern is based on two key design principles:

Separation of Concerns
This principle encourages us to keep different functionalities in separate areas. In the…