When naming an extension on some type A that retur...

# getting-started

[Erik]

When naming an extension on some type A that returns a type B, what are the conventional names for such functions? For example, there are
• fun <T> Array<out T>.asList(): List<T>
• fun <T> Array<out T>.toList(): List<T>
By signature, they are identical. So the behaviour must define the naming difference.

Likewise, there exists a fun <T> Array<out T>.asIterable(): Iterable<T> but not toIterable.

Then there are all kinds of variants that use names like mapTo.

When do you use as, to, mapTo or something else?

[Dominaezzz]

as - is just a cheap cast/view.
to - is a conversion.

[Erik]

I see, thanks

[Erik]

So in a non-collection/iterable context, e.g. domain models, how would you name a function that converts a network model to a database/business logic model?

fun NetworkType.toDatabaseType(): DatabaseType

[Erik]

🙏