How to extend classes in Kotlin without using inheritance

In the context of Android development, the tutorial explores the nuanced differences between traditional inheritance and Kotlin extensions, both of which offer distinct advantages for enhancing class functionality. While inheritance allows child classes to access and override protected properties from a parent class, fostering a structured hierarchy, Kotlin extensions offer the ability to add new functions to any class, even those that are final, without altering the class itself, mirroring utility classes in Java. This flexibility makes Kotlin extensions suitable for quick-access functionality, whereas inheritance is beneficial when creating a hierarchy of related classes and overriding existing functionalities. The tutorial aims to provide developers with a comprehensive understanding of when to use each approach, emphasizing that the choice between inheritance and extensions should be guided by the specific needs of a project.