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Kotlin Academy · Lesson

Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited

Choose the right channel type for your communication pattern.

Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited is a free Kotlin Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Kotlin Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Channel Factory

Create channels with Channel<T>(capacity). The capacity determines buffering and suspension behavior.

import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.Channel
val rendezvous = Channel<Int>()              // capacity 0
val buffered   = Channel<Int>(64)            // capacity 64
val unlimited  = Channel<Int>(Channel.UNLIMITED)
val conflated  = Channel<Int>(Channel.CONFLATED)
fun main() { println("Channel types created") }

Rendezvous Channel (capacity=0)

Default channel. send suspends until a receiver is ready, and receive suspends until a sender sends. They rendezvous — meet at the same point.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>() // rendezvous
    launch {
        println("Sending...")
        ch.send(1)  // suspends until receiver is ready
        println("Sent")
    }
    delay(100)
    println("Receiving...")
    println(ch.receive())
}

Buffered Channel

A buffered channel allows the sender to continue without waiting until the buffer is full. When full, send suspends.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>(3) // buffer of 3
    launch {
        repeat(3) {
            println("Sending $it")
            ch.send(it) // does not suspend until buffer full
        }
        ch.close()
    }
    delay(500)
    for (v in ch) println("Got $v")
}

Channel.BUFFERED

Channel.BUFFERED uses the default capacity (64). This is equivalent to Channel(64).

import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.Channel
import kotlinx.coroutines.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<String>(Channel.BUFFERED)
    println("Default buffer capacity is implementation-defined (~64)")
    ch.close()
}

Unlimited Channel

Channel.UNLIMITED never suspends the sender — it buffers all values. Use with caution: unlimited memory growth possible.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>(Channel.UNLIMITED)
    launch {
        repeat(1000) { ch.send(it) } // never suspends
        ch.close()
    }
    var sum = 0
    for (v in ch) sum += v
    println("Sum: $sum")
}

Conflated Channel

Channel.CONFLATED keeps only the most recent value. If a new value arrives before the previous is received, the old one is dropped.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>(Channel.CONFLATED)
    launch {
        repeat(5) { ch.send(it) } // 0..4 sent rapidly
        ch.close()
    }
    delay(50) // let all sends happen
    println("Received: ${ch.tryReceive().getOrNull()}") // likely 4 (last)
}

RENDEZVOUS vs BUFFERED Timing

Rendezvous synchronizes producer and consumer. Buffered lets the producer run ahead, decoupling timing.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>(Channel.BUFFERED)
    val t = System.currentTimeMillis()
    launch {
        repeat(5) { ch.send(it) } // fast — doesn't wait
        ch.close()
    }
    for (v in ch) { delay(100); println("$v at ${System.currentTimeMillis()-t}ms") }
}

onBufferOverflow Strategy

With Channel(capacity, onBufferOverflow), choose what happens when the buffer is full: SUSPEND (default), DROP_OLDEST, or DROP_LATEST.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ch = Channel<Int>(2, BufferOverflow.DROP_OLDEST)
    launch {
        repeat(5) { ch.trySend(it) } // 0,1,2,3,4 — buffer keeps newest 2
        ch.close()
    }
    for (v in ch) println(v) // likely 3 4
}

Choosing Channel Type

Decision guide: Rendezvous for tight synchronization; Buffered for throughput; Conflated for latest-value-only (like UI state); Unlimited for event logging where loss is unacceptable.

import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.Channel
// Use cases:
// RENDEZVOUS  — handshake between producer and consumer
// BUFFERED    — decouple I/O-heavy producer from slow consumer
// CONFLATED   — UI updates (only latest matters)
// UNLIMITED   — audit log (never drop)
fun main() { println("Choose based on your loss tolerance and timing needs") }

Channel in select

select allows waiting on multiple channels simultaneously, taking the first one ready.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.selects.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val a = produce { delay(100); send("from a") }
    val b = produce { delay(50);  send("from b") }
    val result = select<String> {
        a.onReceive { it }
        b.onReceive { it }
    }
    println(result) // "from b"
    coroutineContext.cancelChildren()
}

Ticker Channel

ticker(delay) creates a channel that emits Unit every delay milliseconds — useful for repeated polling.

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.*
fun main() = runBlocking {
    val ticker = ticker(delayMillis = 100, initialDelayMillis = 0)
    var count = 0
    for (tick in ticker) {
        println("Tick ${++count}")
        if (count == 3) { ticker.cancel(); break }
    }
}

Quick Check

Which channel type keeps only the most recent value?

Recap

Rendezvous: synchronized, no buffer. Buffered: decouple timing. Conflated: latest value only, drops old. Unlimited: never suspend sender. Choose based on your loss tolerance and throughput needs.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited” is free to read here on the web, and the Kotlin Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Kotlin Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited”?

Choose the right channel type for your communication pattern. You practise Kotlin Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Kotlin Academy?

No prior experience is required. Kotlin Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Kotlin Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Kotlin Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. Channel Basics: send, receive, and close
  2. Channel Types: Rendezvous, Buffered, Conflated, Unlimited
  3. Mutex and Semaphore for Shared State
  4. Actors and Structured State Management
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