Can I deconstruct variables while assigning them? Works: `var (a ,b) = somethingReturningAPair()` ...

# getting-started

[Draget]

Can I deconstruct variables while assigning them?

Works:
var (a ,b) = somethingReturningAPair()

But what does not work:

var a: Int
var b: Int
(a, b) = somethingReturningAPair()

Or does it only work when initalizing variables?

[Aleksander Ściborek]

You have to initialize variables as they are not nullable

[lorefnon]

Yeah, kotlin supports destructuring only in declarations (including for loops and lambdas) so you can't destructure into pre-existing variables.

However it is convenient to use it with let, so you can

var a: Int = ... // some number
var b: Int = ... // some number

somethingReturningAPair().let { (a, b) -> 
    // a,b shadowed here 
}

[Vampire]

Please for it at https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-11362