Is there any reason to prefer `fun main(args: Array<String>)` over `fun main(vararg args: Stri...

# getting-started

[Ruckus]

Is there any reason to prefer fun main(args: Array<String>) over fun main(vararg args: String)?

[randomcat]

The first is idiomatic

[randomcat]

Also, how often are you planning to call main explicitly?

[Ruckus]

What do you mean by "call main explicitly"? I pass parameters into many of my programs regularly when I run them.

[randomcat]

I mean how often are you calling main directly from Kotlin code

[randomcat]

That's the only time when allowing or disallowing varargs would affect it

[Ruckus]

Ah, I see what you're saying. Indeed, I basically never call main directly, but for some strange reason I find the vararg variant far more aesthetically pleasing when reading the source.

[randomcat]

If you want to you can, but I'd recommend sticking with the idiomatic form

[Ruckus]

Fair enough. In general I tend to prefer idiomatic constructs, so that's compelling reason to stick with `Array`s. But the vararg just looks so good for some reason... 🙂

[Ruckus]

Anyway, thanks for the (admittedly rather pointless) discussion.

[randomcat]

np

[Shawn]

@randomcat why is it idiomatic?

[randomcat]

The idiomatic way to write it in Java is public static void main(String[] args). fun main(args: Array<String>) is the direct translation of that into Kotlin. It's also how the docs define main https://play.kotlinlang.org/byExample/01_introduction/01_Hello%20world

[Shawn]

ah but that’s not Kotlin tho

[randomcat]

So? Kotlin has its roots in Java

[randomcat]

Idioms from there can sometimes carry over

[Shawn]

For sure, I just wanna know what you think is more idiomatic about this one language feature instead of this other language feature

[randomcat]

I'm not deciding what is idiomatic, I'm just saying what it the more common version

[Shawn]

That seems different from saying “X is idiomatic [and therefore, Y is not]“, doesn’t it?

[randomcat]

I mean I was taking "idiomatic" to mean commonly used and accepted

[randomcat]

I think the first form is by far more common than the varargs form

[Shawn]

Definitely more common, agreed

[Ruckus]

Also, the fact that maina in IntelliJ generates the Array version, it's probably safe to assume it's considered the more idiomatic of the two.

[Alex Nordlund]

It also makes searching for main easier for people who are new to your project

[Ruckus]

I hadn't thought of that. That's a good point.

[Sourabh Rawat]

I would say Array is much easier to understand that vararg.
"Hey it's an array of arguments"
Vs
"Hey it's vararg? Hmm whats the type of it? Is it list? Array? Never mind, at least it says several args, so an Iterable, aha!"