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Kotlin | Explicit type casting

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In Smart Casting, we generally use is or !is an operator to check the type of variable, and the compiler automatically casts the variable to the target type, but in explicit type casting we use as operator. 
Explicit type casting can be done using : 
 

  1. Unsafe cast operator: as
  2. Safe cast operator: as?

 

Unsafe cast operator : as

Manually, we use the type cast operator as to cast a variable to target type. 
In the below program, variable str1 of string typecast to target type using as operator. 
 

Kotlin




fun main(args: Array<String>){
    val str1: String = "It works fine"
    val str2: String = str1 as String      // Works
    println(str1)
}


Output: 
 

It works fine

There might be possibility that we can not cast variable to target type and it throws an exception at runtime, that’s why it is called as unsafe casting
When the Integer type is used to cast to the String type, then it throws ClassCastException
 

Kotlin




fun main(args: Array<String>){
    val str1: Any = 11
    val str2: String = str1 as String      // throw exception
    println(str1)
}


Output: 
 

Exception in thread “main” java.lang.ClassCastException: class java.lang.Integer cannot be cast to class java.lang.String 
 

We can not cast a nullable string to non-nullable string, and it throws an exception TypeCastException
 

Kotlin




fun main(args: Array<String>){
    val str1: String? = null
    val str2: String = str1 as String      // throw exception
    println(str1)
}


Output:
 

Exception in thread “main” kotlin.TypeCastException: null cannot be cast to non-null type kotlin.String 
 

Hence, we have to use target type also as nullable String so that type casting throws no exception. 
 

Kotlin




fun main(args: Array<String>){
    val str1: String? = null
    val str2: String? = str1 as String?      // throw exception
    println(str1)
}


Output: 
 

null 

 

Safe cast operator: as?

Kotlin also provides a facility of typecasting using safe cast operator as?. If casting is not possible it returns null instead of throwing an ClassCastException exception.
Here is an example, in which we are trying to cast Any type of string value that is initially known by the programmer into a nullable string then it works fine. When we initialize the Any with Integer value and try to cast into a nullable string then this typecasting is not possible and returns null to str3. 
 

Kotlin




fun main(args: Array<String>){
 
    var str1: Any = "Safe casting"
    val str2: String? = str1 as? String     // it works
    str1 = 11
    // type casting not possible so returns null to str3
    val str3: String? = str1 as? String   
    val str4: Int? = str1 as? Int          // it works
    println(str2)
    println(str3)
    println(str4)
}


Output: 
 

Safe casting
null
11

 



Last Updated : 24 Feb, 2022
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