Alright 👍 let’s go step by step.
✅ What is a Higher-Order Function in Kotlin?
A higher-order function is a function that either:
1. Takes another function as a parameter, OR
2. Returns a function as a result.
This makes Kotlin very powerful for functional programming.
📌 Example 1: Function as a Parameter
fun calculate(x: Int, y: Int, operation: (Int, Int) -> Int): Int {
return operation(x, y)
fun main() {
val sum = calculate(5, 3) { a, b -> a + b }
val product = calculate(5, 3) { a, b -> a * b }
println("Sum: $sum")
println("Product: $product")
👉 Output:
Sum: 8
Product: 15
Here, operation is a function passed as a parameter.
📌 Example 2: Function Returning Another Function
fun multiplyBy(factor: Int): (Int) -> Int {
return { number -> number * factor }
fun main() {
val times2 = multiplyBy(2)
val times3 = multiplyBy(3)
println(times2(5)) // 10
println(times3(5)) // 15
Here, multiplyBy returns a function that multiplies a number by the given factor.
🎯 Uses of Higher-Order Functions
1. Code Reusability – Instead of repeating logic, pass behavior as a function.
2. Functional Programming Style – Makes code concise and expressive.
3. Callback Functions – Useful in Android development (e.g., button clicks, API
responses).
4. Collections Operations – Functions like map, filter, forEach, and reduce are
higher-order functions.
5. Cleaner Asynchronous Programming – Used in coroutines, lambdas, and event
handling.
👉 Example in Real Life (Android):
[Link] {
println("Button Clicked!")
Here, setOnClickListener is a higher-order function because it takes a function (lambda) as
a parameter.
Do you want me to also make a PDF note (like I did for Enum Class) for this so you can keep
it for UPSC + Android prep?
