Using @StringDef in kotlin

About @StringDef

• @StringDef is an annotation in Android that is part of the Android annotation processing framework.
• It is used to enforce type safety when dealing with string constants.
• Instead of using enum which is costly in terms of memory and performance, especially in Android @StringDef ensures only specific strings could be passed as values or used as parameters.

Why to use @StringDef

• Type Safety: It helps you avoid mistakes where arbitrary strings might be passed where only specific values are expected.
• Performance: Since Android has a limited memory footprint, using String constants is more efficient than enums, which come with additional overhead.
• Compile-time Checking: It allows the compiler to catch invalid values passed to a function or variable at compile-time, preventing runtime errors.
• Documentation: It makes the API clear about the valid values expected for a given argument, improving code readability.