Description: The ‘Type Bound’ in Kotlin refers to a restriction applied to the types that can be used as type parameters in generic functions and classes. This feature allows developers to specify that a type parameter must be a subtype of a particular class or interface, providing greater control over the types of data that can be used. By defining a type bound, it can be ensured that the operations performed within the function or class are safe and consistent with the expected type. This is especially useful in situations where logic needs to be implemented that depends on certain properties or methods that are only available in a subset of types. In Kotlin, type bounds are defined using a colon (:) followed by the bound type, allowing programmers to create more robust and error-resistant code while leveraging the advantages of generic programming. This feature not only improves code readability but also facilitates component reuse, as functions and classes can be created to operate on a variety of types, as long as they meet the specified constraints.
Examples: An example of a type bound in Kotlin would be a generic function that only accepts numbers. It could be defined as follows: ‘fun