Coroutine Dispatchers: Telling Your Coroutines Which Thread to Use
A Dispatcher tells a coroutine which thread or thread pool to use for its work. Use `Dispatchers.Default` for CPU-intensive tasks. If none is specified, it inherits from its parent. The main footgun: `Unconfined` can resume on an unexpected thread.
Kotlin Sealed Classes: Enums for Types
A sealed class is like an enum, but for types. It defines a closed set of subclasses, letting each one carry different data. It's perfect for modeling states like `Loading`, `Success`, and `Error`, ensuring you handle every case at compile time.
Kotlin Scope Functions: Cleaner Code, Clearer Choices
Kotlin's scope functions (`let`, `run`, `apply`) create a temporary workspace for an object, avoiding repetitive variable names. Use them for object configuration or chaining calls.
Kotlin Extension Functions: Add Methods Without Inheritance
Kotlin extension functions let you add new functionality to existing classes without inheritance, as if you were adding a new method. They're perfect for creating helpers for third-party library classes or framework types like `String`.
Kotlin Data Classes: Automatic Boilerplate for Data Holders
A Kotlin `data class` automatically generates boilerplate like `equals()` and `toString()` for classes that just hold data. Use it for model objects or DTOs where value equality matters. The footgun: its `copy()` method is shallow, sharing mutable objects.
Kotlin Inheritance: Open for Extension, Closed by Default
In Kotlin, classes are final by default. Think of inheritance as an opt-in feature you enable with the `open` keyword. Use it to create specialized versions of a base class, like a `Student` from a `Person`.
Kotlin Functions: Named, Reusable Code Blocks
A function is a named recipe for your code. You give it ingredients (parameters) and it produces a result. They are used everywhere, from calculating values to handling button clicks.
Kotlin Null Safety: Catch Nulls at Compile Time
Kotlin's type system catches null pointer errors at compile time. Variables are non-nullable by default; you must opt-in to nulls with a `?` (e.g., `String?`). The compiler then forces you to handle the null case. The main footgun is the `!!` operator.
Kotlin Variables: `val` for Constants, `var` for Variables
In Kotlin, `val` creates a read-only constant you assign once, like a fixed setting. `var` creates a mutable variable you can change later. Always prefer `val` unless you explicitly need to reassign a value to prevent accidental state changes.
Riverpod 3 brings code-gen to every provider
Riverpod 3 standardises on the @riverpod annotation. The legacy StateProvider / ChangeNotifierProvider APIs are deprecated, and the runtime gets a 30% smaller binary footprint thanks to removing the manual scoping machinery.
Flutter 3.27 ships impeller on Android by default
The new release flips the Impeller renderer on for all Android devices, dropping Skia for Vulkan/OpenGL. Smoother scrolling, faster first frame, and far fewer jank reports — at the cost of a slightly larger APK.