What is the equivalent of Java static methods in Kotlin?

Question

There is no static keyword in Kotlin.

What is the best way to represent a static Java method in Kotlin?

Answer 1

If you need a function or a property to be tied to a class rather than to instances of it, you can declare it inside a companion object:

class Car(val horsepowers: Int) {
    companion object Factory {
        val cars = mutableListOf()

        fun makeCar(horsepowers: Int): Car {
            val car = Car(horsepowers)
            cars.add(car)
            return car
        }
    }
}

The companion object is a singleton, and its members can be accessed directly via the name of the containing class

val car = Car.makeCar(150)
println(Car.Factory.cars.size)