Short Data type Usage and Type Conversion in Kotlin

Definition

• Short is a 16-bit number in Kotlin The type is to be declared explicitly.
• The short data type can have values from -32768 to 32767.
• In JVM, the characteristics of this “Short” variable is derived from the characteristics of primitive type short of Java which has a non-nullable default value.

Syntax and declaration

Thus a Short value can be declared by 2 ways as mentioned below.

1. Mentioning type explicitly

val variable_name : Short = value

for example,

val number : Short = 100

2. Declaring and Initializing separately

var variable_name : Short 
variable_name = value

for example

//Declaring and Initializing separately
var number:Short 
number = 100

Short Datatype Example Program in Kotlin

// Short Datatype Kotlin example program
// Data type Kotlin Programs, Basic Kotlin Programs
	
fun main(args:Array<String>) {
    //Assigning value to Byte variable explicitly
    val a:Short = -32768
    val b:Short = 32767
    
    println("Short value in a is $a")
    println("Short value in b is $b")
}

Sample Output

Short value in a is -32768
Short value in b is 32767

Type conversion syntax and declaration

//String to Short Conversion 
val variable_name = "string".toShort()

//Int to Short Conversion 
val variable_name = int_variable.toShort()

Short type Conversion Example Program in Kotlin

// Short Datatype Kotlin example program
// Data type Kotlin Programs, Basic Kotlin Programs

fun main(args: Array < String > ) {
    //Converted from String and Short type is inferred
    val num1 = "50".toShort()

    //Conversion from String and Declaring an Short value immediately
    val num2: Short = "30".toShort()

    val num3: Int = 10
    //Conversion from Int
    val num4: Short = num3.toShort()

    val num5: Float = 20.31f
    //Conversion from Float
    val num6: Short = num5.toShort()

    //Print values after conversion
    println("String to Short : num1 Value : $num1")
    println("String to Short : num2 Value : $num2")
    println("Int Value : num3 Value : $num3")
    println("Int to Short : num4 Value : $num4")
    println("Float Value : num5 Value : $num5")
    println("Float to Short : num6 Value : $num6")
}

Sample Output

String to Short : num1 Value : 50
String to Short : num2 Value : 30
Int Value : num3 Value : 10
Int to Short : num4 Value : 10
Float Value : num5 Value : 20.31
Float to Short : num6 Value : 20

How It Works

This Kotlin program demonstrates Short Data type Usage and Type Conversion. It first prepares the data it needs, then performs the core operation step by step, and finally prints the output shown in the Sample Output above.

1. Declare the variables that hold the program’s data.
2. Print the final result to the console so you can compare it with the sample output.

Try changing the input values and re-running the program to see how the output changes — this is the fastest way to understand how the logic behaves.