I guess I want to understand the magic of `init: BuildType.() -> Unit`

# getting-started

[Keith Miller]

I guess I want to understand the magic of init: BuildType.() -> Unit

[Joffrey]

This type is a function type. It defines init as a function which has a receiver of type BuildType, no parameters, and returns Unit (so no specific return value)

[Keith Miller]

ty!

[Klitos Kyriacou]

I see a slight inconsistency in the Kotlin syntax: for normal functions, if the last parameter is a lambda, you can omit the parentheses. But this is not the case for constructor parameters; hence we need the parentheses around the curly braces.

[Joffrey]

Yeah that's why I tend to avoid constructors with a single lambda. Usually a top-level function is fine

[Klitos Kyriacou]

I tend to avoid constructors with a single lambda

Kotest is absolutely full of them!

[Joffrey]

Let me clarify: constructors of open classes (the ones that can potentially be used in a subclass declaration)