Quick question regarding extension functions: Let'...

# getting-started

[Danish Ansari]

Quick question regarding extension functions:
Let's say if I add 1000 extensions functions in a String (just a scenario), so does that have any impact on performance?
Just want to understand how exactly extension functions work and if there's any cost (or disadvantage) in using it that I should be aware of.

[Joffrey]

Extension functions are just like regular functions. Top-level extensions are static functions, member extensions are regular methods. Adding a lot of functions will just increase the bytecode size

[Roukanken]

(top-level) Extensions functions can be basically considered static methods

The costs the usual Java's pattern of StringUtils class with 1000 static methods, each of which takes a string as first parameters will be similar

[Danish Ansari]

@Joffrey @Roukanken so it's safe to create as many extensions as I want, right?

[Danish Ansari]

Since they are just top level static functions

[Joffrey]

Yes, it's as safe as just declaring a lot of regular static functions or methods

[Joffrey]

Bytecode size should not be too much of a performance problem in itself, apart from download time of your library or application, but 1000 methods should not even be noticeable. IIRC there is a method count limit on Android, so if that is your target platform you might have problems

[Roukanken]

Yes, there is basically no performance cost to them

If we're talking about disadvantages (as you mentioned too), there is a small one when you are working with inheritance though: since they are static function, they get resolved depending upon static type of the variable, and not runtime type as methods get resolved

open class A {
    open fun doSmthElse() = println("A.doSmthElse")
}

class B : A() {
	override fun doSmthElse() = println("B.doSmthElse")
}

fun A.doSmth() = println("A.doSmth")
fun B.doSmth() = println("B.doSmth")

fun main() {
    val x: A = B()  // this line is at fault: x's type is A, but it stores instance of type B
    
    x.doSmth()
    x.doSmthElse()
}

this will print

A.doSmth
B.doSmthElse

But that's not really fault of extension funcs, but the difference between methods and top-level functions

[Danish Ansari]

Ok thanks a lot @Joffrey and @Roukanken