The by Keyword
Delegate interface implementation.
The by Keyword is a free Kotlin Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 1 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 Delegation?
Class delegation lets one object hand off an interface's implementation to another object. Kotlin builds this into the language with the by keyword.
It is composition made effortless.
An Interface to Delegate
Start with an interface and a concrete implementation. We will later delegate to this implementation.
interface Speaker {
fun speak(): String
}
class LoudSpeaker : Speaker {
override fun speak() = "HELLO!"
}
fun main() {
println(LoudSpeaker().speak())
}The by Keyword
Write class X(d: Iface) : Iface by d. The compiler generates forwarding methods that call d for every interface member.
interface Speaker {
fun speak(): String
}
class LoudSpeaker : Speaker {
override fun speak() = "HELLO!"
}
class Announcer(s: Speaker) : Speaker by s
fun main() {
val a = Announcer(LoudSpeaker())
println(a.speak())
}No Boilerplate
Without by you would write a forwarding method for every interface function by hand. Delegation generates all of them automatically.
interface Repository {
fun save(item: String): String
fun count(): Int
}
class MemoryRepo : Repository {
private val items = mutableListOf<String>()
override fun save(item: String): String { items.add(item); return item }
override fun count() = items.size
}
class LoggingRepo(r: Repository) : Repository by r
fun main() {
val repo = LoggingRepo(MemoryRepo())
repo.save("a")
println(repo.count())
}Overriding Selected Members
You can override just the members you want to customize; the rest are still forwarded to the delegate.
interface Repository {
fun save(item: String): String
fun count(): Int
}
class MemoryRepo : Repository {
private val items = mutableListOf<String>()
override fun save(item: String): String { items.add(item); return item }
override fun count() = items.size
}
class LoggingRepo(private val r: Repository) : Repository by r {
override fun save(item: String): String {
println("saving " + item)
return r.save(item)
}
}
fun main() {
val repo = LoggingRepo(MemoryRepo())
repo.save("book")
println(repo.count())
}Delegate as a Parameter
The delegate is usually passed via the primary constructor. You can keep a reference with private val if you also override some members.
interface Clock { fun now(): Int }
class FixedClock : Clock { override fun now() = 12 }
class App(private val clock: Clock) : Clock by clock
fun main() {
println(App(FixedClock()).now())
}Delegating Standard Interfaces
You can delegate to built-in collection interfaces, instantly getting a wrapper that behaves like the underlying collection.
class TaggedList(private val inner: List<String>) : List<String> by inner {
val tag = "v1"
}
fun main() {
val tl = TaggedList(listOf("x", "y"))
println(tl.size)
println(tl[0])
println(tl.tag)
}How It Compiles
Behind the scenes, the compiler stores the delegate and emits forwarding implementations. The generated methods simply call the delegate's matching method. It is the same as hand-written forwarding, minus the typing.
A Captured Snapshot
Important subtlety: the delegate reference is captured when the object is built. Overridden members call the delegate explicitly, but generated forwarders use the originally supplied instance.
interface Source { fun value(): Int }
class Const(val n: Int) : Source { override fun value() = n }
class Wrapper(s: Source) : Source by s
fun main() {
val w = Wrapper(Const(42))
println(w.value())
}Why Use by
The by keyword lets you:
- Reuse existing implementations
- Add behavior without subclassing
- Avoid fragile inheritance hierarchies
It is Kotlin's first-class support for the composition-over-inheritance principle.
The Foundation
This by keyword is the foundation for everything in this course. Next we look more closely at delegating to member objects to compose behavior.
Quick Check
Test your understanding of the by keyword.
Recap
You learned class delegation with by:
- Delegate an interface to another object
- Auto-generated forwarding methods
- Override selected members while forwarding the rest
- Works with built-in interfaces too
Next: delegating to members to compose behavior.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “The by Keyword” lesson free?
Yes — any 3 lessons of the Kotlin Academy learning path, including “The by Keyword”, 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 “The by Keyword”?
Delegate interface implementation. 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 1 of 4.
How long does the “The by Keyword” 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.