In Kotlin, if expressions are used for decision-making. Unlike some other programming languages, Kotlin’s if is an expression, meaning it returns a value. This makes it more versatile because it can be directly assigned to a variable or used in a function return.
Here’s how it works:
1. Basic if expression
The simplest usage is just like a usual if statement:
val number = 10
if (number > 0) {
println("$number is positive")
}
2. if-else expression
Kotlin’s if can be combined with else to define two branches of logic:
val number = -5
if (number > 0) {
println("$number is positive")
} else {
println("$number is non-positive")
}
3. Using if as an expression
The key feature of Kotlin’s if is that it returns a value. This means you can assign the result of an if to a variable:
val number = 15
val result = if (number % 2 == 0) {
"Even"
} else {
"Odd"
}
println("The number is $result")
Here, the value of result will be "Odd" because number is 15.
4. if with multiple branches
You can include more than two branches by chaining multiple else if conditions:
val number = 0
val result = if (number > 0) {
"Positive"
} else if (number < 0) {
"Negative"
} else {
"Zero"
}
println("The number is $result")
5. Returning block results
When using an if expression with blocks (multiple lines), the last expression in each block is the value that gets returned:
val a = 10
val b = 20
val max = if (a > b) {
println("a is greater")
a // This value is returned
} else {
println("b is greater")
b // This value is returned
}
println("Maximum is $max")
6. if as a shorthand
For simple conditions, you can write the if expression in a single line:
val age = 18
val isAdult = if (age >= 18) "Adult" else "Minor"
println("You are $isAdult")
In this case, there’s no need for curly braces.
Notes:
ifexpressions must always cover all cases when used to assign a result. If you omit theelsebranch and none of the conditions are met, the code will result in a compilation error.- For decision-making scenarios with many options, consider using
whenexpressions for more readability.

To write Kotlin program you will need an IDE (Integrated Development Environment). One of the IDE that you can use is the IntelliJ IDEA CE (Community Edition). It comes with Kotlin Java Runtime Library, so you don’t need to install it separately.




