Star Projection and When to Use *
Apply star projection for unknown generic types and understand its limits.
Star Projection and When to Use * is a free Kotlin Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Kotlin Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Kotlin Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
What Is Star Projection?
Star projection (*) is Kotlin's way to say "a generic type with an unknown type argument." It's the safe equivalent of Java's raw type or unbounded wildcard <?>.
fun printList(list: List<*>) {
for (item in list) println(item)
}
fun main() {
printList(listOf(1, 2, 3))
printList(listOf("a", "b"))
printList(listOf(true, 42, "mixed"))
}Reading from Star-Projected Types
From a List<*> you can read elements as Any?. You cannot add elements because the actual type is unknown.
fun process(list: List<*>) {
val first: Any? = list.firstOrNull()
println("First: $first, Size: ${list.size}")
// list.add("x") // compile error: can't write to List<*>
}
fun main() {
process(listOf(10, 20, 30))
}Star vs out Any
List<*> and List<out Any?> are equivalent. Star projection is shorthand for the covariant projection with the upper bound.
fun sumStars(list: List<*>): Int = list.size
fun sumOut(list: List<out Any?>): Int = list.size
fun main() {
val l = listOf(1, "two", true)
println(sumStars(l)) // 3
println(sumOut(l)) // 3
}Star in Function Parameters
Use * in function signatures when you need to accept any generic variant but only call methods that don't require knowing T.
fun containerInfo(map: Map<*, *>): String {
return "keys=${map.keys.size}, values=${map.values.size}"
}
fun main() {
val m = mapOf(1 to "one", 2 to "two")
println(containerInfo(m))
}Star with MutableList
For MutableList<*>, you can read as Any? but cannot write at all — the compiler prevents it.
fun clearFirstElement(list: MutableList<*>) {
if (list.isNotEmpty()) {
list.removeAt(0) // OK: remove by index doesn't need T
// list.add("x") // Error: can't write unknown type
}
}
fun main() {
val m = mutableListOf(1, 2, 3)
clearFirstElement(m)
println(m) // [2, 3]
}Class with Star Projection
When checking a generic class type at runtime, use star projection because type arguments are erased.
fun isListOfSomething(obj: Any): Boolean {
return obj is List<*> // OK with star
// obj is List<String> // Warning: cannot check erased type
}
fun main() {
println(isListOfSomething(listOf(1, 2))) // true
println(isListOfSomething("not a list")) // false
}Multiple Star Parameters
A function can have multiple star-projected parameters when working with pairs or maps of unknown types.
fun describeMap(map: Map<*, *>) {
map.forEach { (k, v) ->
println("${k?.javaClass?.simpleName} -> ${v?.javaClass?.simpleName}")
}
}
fun main() {
describeMap(mapOf("key" to 42, 1 to true))
}When NOT to Use Star
Avoid star projection when you need to write to a collection or when you can use a bounded type parameter instead — bounded gives you more information.
// Bad: loses type information
fun addToStar(list: MutableList<*>, item: Any?) {
// list.add(item) // compile error
}
// Better: use bounded type parameter
fun <T : Any> addTyped(list: MutableList<T>, item: T) {
list.add(item)
}
fun main() {
val l = mutableListOf("a")
addTyped(l, "b")
println(l)
}Star with Type Checks and Casts
Use star projection to perform instanceof checks on generic classes, then cast to a specific type for actual work.
fun handleResponse(response: Any) {
if (response is List<*>) {
val list = response as List<*>
println("List with ${list.size} elements")
val first = list.firstOrNull()
if (first is String) println("First string: $first")
}
}
fun main() {
handleResponse(listOf("hello", "world"))
handleResponse(42)
}Practical: Generic Event Dispatcher
A dispatcher that accepts any Handler<*> but dispatches typed events safely.
interface Handler<in T> { fun handle(event: T) }
class LogHandler : Handler<Any> {
override fun handle(event: Any) = println("Event: $event")
}
fun dispatch(handler: Handler<*>, event: Any) {
@Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
(handler as Handler<Any>).handle(event)
}
fun main() {
dispatch(LogHandler(), "click")
dispatch(LogHandler(), 42)
}Star in Reified Contexts
Star projection is especially common in reflection and serialization code where the runtime type is inspected via KClass<*>.
fun printClassName(klass: kotlin.reflect.KClass<*>) {
println(klass.simpleName)
}
fun main() {
printClassName(String::class) // String
printClassName(List::class) // List
printClassName(Int::class) // Int
}Quick Check
What type do you get when reading from a List<*>?
Recap
Star projection (*) accepts any generic variant for read-only access. Use it for type checks, generic utilities, and reflection. Avoid it when you need to write to a collection or when a bounded type parameter gives better type safety.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “Star Projection and When to Use *” lesson free?
Yes — any 3 lessons of the Kotlin Academy learning path, including “Star Projection and When to Use *”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The Kotlin Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
What will I learn in “Star Projection and When to Use *”?
Apply star projection for unknown generic types and understand its limits. 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, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 4.
How long does the “Star Projection and When to Use *” 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
- Generic Functions and Type Constraints with where
- Declaration-Site Variance: in and out
- Star Projection and When to Use *
- Type Erasure and reified Type Parameters