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Kotlin Academy · Lesson

Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging

Apply delegates to SharedPreferences, Map storage, and audit logging.

Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging is a free Kotlin Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 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.

Map-Backed Properties

Kotlin allows delegating properties to a Map directly. Reading the property looks up its name in the map.

class User(map: Map<String, Any?>) {
    val name: String by map
    val age: Int by map
}
fun main() {
    val u = User(mapOf("name" to "Alice", "age" to 30))
    println(u.name) // Alice
    println(u.age)  // 30
}

MutableMap Delegate

For mutable properties, delegate to a MutableMap and mutations update the underlying map.

class Settings(private val map: MutableMap<String, Any?> = mutableMapOf()) {
    var theme: String by map
    var fontSize: Int by map
}
fun main() {
    val s = Settings()
    s.theme = "dark"
    s.fontSize = 16
    println(s.theme)    // dark
    println(s.fontSize) // 16
}

JSON Deserialization with Map Delegate

Parse a JSON-like map and expose its fields as typed properties using map delegation — great for dynamic data.

class ApiResponse(data: Map<String, Any?>) {
    val id: Int by data
    val title: String by data
    val published: Boolean by data
}
fun main() {
    val response = ApiResponse(mapOf("id" to 1, "title" to "Kotlin Rocks", "published" to true))
    println(response.title)     // Kotlin Rocks
    println(response.published) // true
}

Logging Delegate Pattern

Wrap any delegate with logging to trace every read and write transparently across all delegated properties.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
class Logged<T>(private var v: T) : ReadWriteProperty<Any?, T> {
    override fun getValue(t: Any?, p: KProperty<*>): T {
        println("[READ]  ${p.name} = $v"); return v
    }
    override fun setValue(t: Any?, p: KProperty<*>, value: T) {
        println("[WRITE] ${p.name}: $v -> $value"); v = value
    }
}
var config: String by Logged("default")
fun main() { println(config); config = "production" }

Combining Map + Logging

Layer a logging wrapper around map delegation for full auditability of dynamic property access.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
class TrackedMap(private val map: MutableMap<String,Any?> = mutableMapOf()) {
    inner class Delegate<T> : ReadWriteProperty<Any?,T> {
        @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
        override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>): T {
            val v = map[p.name] as T; println("read ${p.name}=$v"); return v
        }
        override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,value:T) {
            println("write ${p.name}=$value"); map[p.name]=value
        }
    }
    var host: String by Delegate()
}
fun main() { val m=TrackedMap(); m.host="localhost"; println(m.host) }

SharedPreferences-Style Delegate

A delegate that stores values in a backing map simulating SharedPreferences — adapt to real Android prefs by swapping the map for actual prefs calls.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
val prefs = mutableMapOf<String, Any?>()
fun <T> pref(default: T): ReadWriteProperty<Any?, T> = object : ReadWriteProperty<Any?, T> {
    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
    override fun getValue(t: Any?, p: KProperty<*>): T = prefs.getOrDefault(p.name, default) as T
    override fun setValue(t: Any?, p: KProperty<*>, value: T) { prefs[p.name] = value }
}
object UserPrefs {
    var username: String by pref("Guest")
    var isDarkMode: Boolean by pref(false)
}
fun main() {
    println(UserPrefs.username)   // Guest
    UserPrefs.username = "Alice"
    println(UserPrefs.username)   // Alice
}

Typed Preference Helpers

Create typed helper functions for each primitive preference type for cleaner call sites.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
val store = mutableMapOf<String,Any?>()
fun stringPref(default: String) = object : ReadWriteProperty<Any?,String> {
    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
    override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>) = store.getOrDefault(p.name, default) as String
    override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,v:String) { store[p.name]=v }
}
fun intPref(default: Int) = object : ReadWriteProperty<Any?,Int> {
    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
    override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>) = store.getOrDefault(p.name, default) as Int
    override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,v:Int) { store[p.name]=v }
}
object Prefs {
    var name: String by stringPref("default")
    var count: Int by intPref(0)
}
fun main() { Prefs.name="Bob"; Prefs.count=5; println("${Prefs.name}: ${Prefs.count}") }

Audit Log Delegate

Record every property mutation with timestamp to an audit list — ideal for compliance or debugging scenarios.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
val audit = mutableListOf<String>()
class AuditDelegate<T>(private var v: T) : ReadWriteProperty<Any?, T> {
    override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>) = v
    override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,value:T) {
        audit += "[${System.currentTimeMillis()}] ${p.name}: $v -> $value"
        v = value
    }
}
var price: Double by AuditDelegate(9.99)
fun main() {
    price = 12.99
    price = 11.49
    audit.forEach(::println)
}

Validation + Map Storage

Combine map storage with validation: reject invalid values before writing to the map.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
val data = mutableMapOf<String, Any?>()
fun positiveInt(default: Int): ReadWriteProperty<Any?,Int> = object : ReadWriteProperty<Any?,Int> {
    @Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
    override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>)=data.getOrDefault(p.name,default) as Int
    override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,v:Int){
        require(v>=0){"${p.name} must be >= 0"}
        data[p.name]=v
    }
}
object Inventory { var stock: Int by positiveInt(100) }
fun main(){
    Inventory.stock=50; println(Inventory.stock)
    try { Inventory.stock=-1 } catch(e:Exception){ println(e.message) }
}

Delegate Composition Pattern

Compose multiple delegate behaviors using a builder-style API: start with a base delegate and layer on logging, validation, or caching.

import kotlin.properties.ReadWriteProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
fun <T> ReadWriteProperty<Any?,T>.withLogging(): ReadWriteProperty<Any?,T> {
    val base = this
    return object : ReadWriteProperty<Any?,T> {
        override fun getValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>): T {
            val v = base.getValue(t,p); println("get ${p.name}=$v"); return v
        }
        override fun setValue(t:Any?,p:KProperty<*>,v:T){
            println("set ${p.name}=$v"); base.setValue(t,p,v)
        }
    }
}

Real-World: Config Object Pattern

Use map delegation to build a configuration object from external sources like environment variables or a JSON config file.

class AppConfig(private val raw: Map<String, Any?>) {
    val host: String by raw
    val port: Int by raw
    val debug: Boolean by raw
}
fun main() {
    val env = mapOf("host" to "0.0.0.0", "port" to 8080, "debug" to true)
    val cfg = AppConfig(env)
    println("${cfg.host}:${cfg.port} debug=${cfg.debug}")
}

Quick Check

What happens when you delegate a property to a Map?

Recap

Delegates unlock powerful patterns: map delegation for dynamic/JSON data, SharedPreferences-style persistence, audit logging for compliance, and composable validation — all without changing call sites.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging” 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 “Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging”?

Apply delegates to SharedPreferences, Map storage, and audit logging. 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 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging” 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. by lazy: Deferred Initialization Deep Dive
  2. observable and vetoable Delegates
  3. Writing a Custom ReadWriteProperty Delegate
  4. Delegates for Preferences, Map-Backed Properties & Logging
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