➕ Kotlin – Operators: Arithmetic, Logical, Relational & More

🧲 Introduction – Why Learn Kotlin Operators?

Operators are symbols that perform computations, comparisons, and logic operations on variables and values. Kotlin supports a wide range of operators similar to Java but with added clarity and null-safety. Mastering Kotlin operators allows you to write efficient, readable, and expressive code.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

• All major categories of Kotlin operators
• Syntax and examples for arithmetic, logical, and relational operations
• How Kotlin handles null-safe operations and operator overloading
• Best practices for operator usage

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🧮 Arithmetic Operators

Used to perform basic mathematical operations.

Operator	Name	Example	Output
+	Addition	10 + 5	15
-	Subtraction	10 - 5	5
*	Multiplication	10 * 5	50
/	Division	10 / 2	5
%	Modulus	10 % 3	1

✨ Example:

val a = 12
val b = 4
println("Sum: ${a + b}, Product: ${a * b}")

✅ Output:

Sum: 16, Product: 48

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⚖️ Relational (Comparison) Operators

Used to compare values. They return true or false.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
==	Equal to	5 == 5	true
!=	Not equal to	5 != 3	true
>	Greater than	6 > 2	true
<	Less than	2 < 5	true
>=	Greater than or equal	3 >= 3	true
<=	Less than or equal	2 <= 1	false

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🔁 Assignment Operators

Used to assign and update values in variables.

Operator	Description	Example	Equivalent To
=	Assignment	a = 10	–
+=	Add and assign	a += 5	a = a + 5
-=	Subtract and assign	a -= 3	a = a - 3
*=	Multiply and assign	a *= 2	a = a * 2
/=	Divide and assign	a /= 2	a = a / 2
%=	Modulo and assign	a %= 3	a = a % 3

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⚙️ Unary Operators

Operate on a single operand.

Operator	Meaning	Example
+	Unary plus	+a
-	Unary minus	-a
++	Increment	a++
--	Decrement	a--
!	Logical NOT	!true

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🤔 Logical Operators

Used to build compound boolean expressions.

Operator	Description	Example	Result
&&	Logical AND	true && false	false
`		`	Logical OR
!	Logical NOT	!true	false

val age = 25
val isMember = true

if (age > 18 && isMember) {
    println("Eligible")
}

✅ Output:

Eligible

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🔎 Kotlin Identity & Equality Operators

Operator	Description	Example
==	Structural equality	a == b (content match)
===	Referential equality	a === b (same object)

val str1 = "Hello"
val str2 = "Hello"
println(str1 == str2)   // true
println(str1 === str2)  // might be true (same reference in memory)

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❔ Null-Safety Operators

Kotlin introduces special operators for handling nulls safely.

Operator	Name	Example	Purpose
?.	Safe call	name?.length	Avoids NullPointerException
?:	Elvis operator	name ?: "Guest"	Default value if null
!!	Not-null assert	name!!	Throws NPE if null

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💡 Operator Overloading in Kotlin

Kotlin allows custom operator overloading for classes using predefined keywords.

✅ Example:

data class Point(val x: Int, val y: Int) {
    operator fun plus(other: Point) = Point(x + other.x, y + other.y)
}

val p1 = Point(2, 3)
val p2 = Point(4, 1)
println(p1 + p2) // Output: Point(x=6, y=4)

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📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

Kotlin offers a rich set of operators that make arithmetic, logic, and comparison tasks intuitive and expressive. It also introduces null-safe operators and operator overloading, making Kotlin highly flexible and safe.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Use arithmetic, logical, and relational operators like in Java.
• Kotlin supports structural (==) and referential (===) equality.
• Use null-safety operators to avoid NullPointerExceptions.
• Operator overloading enables expressive custom logic in classes.

⚙️ Practical Use:
Operators are critical in every Kotlin application—from simple calculations to complex conditions in Android, backend services, and business logic.

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❓ FAQs – Kotlin Operators

❓ What’s the difference between == and === in Kotlin?
✅ == checks value equality, while === checks reference equality (if two variables point to the same object).

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❓ How does Kotlin handle nulls with operators?
✅ Use the safe call operator ?., the Elvis operator ?:, or !! for asserting non-null.

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❓ Can I overload operators in Kotlin?
✅ Yes. Kotlin allows operator overloading by defining functions with the operator keyword in classes.

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❓ Does Kotlin support all Java-style operators?
✅ Yes, including arithmetic, comparison, assignment, and logical operators—plus Kotlin adds null-safety operators.

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❓ Can I use ++ and -- in Kotlin like in Java?
✅ Yes. Kotlin supports a++, --b, etc., for increment/decrement operations.

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