What is the equivalent of Java static methods in Kotlin?

In Kotlin, you can use the companion object to define methods and properties that are accessed using class-name syntax.

Here is an example of how to define a method in a companion object:

class MyClass {
    companion object {
        fun staticMethod() {
            // method implementation
        }
    }
}

You can call the method using the name of the class:

MyClass.staticMethod()

Here is an example of how to define a property in a companion object:

class MyClass {
    companion object {
        val staticProperty = "static property value"
    }
}

You can access the property using the name of the class:

val value = MyClass.staticProperty

In Kotlin, the companion object is a singleton, which means that there is only one instance of the object. Its members are accessed via class-name sugar, but they are technically instance members of the companion object, not JVM static methods by default.

To generate actual JVM static methods for Java interoperability, use the @JvmStatic annotation:

class MyClass {
    companion object {
        @JvmStatic
        fun javaStaticMethod() {
            // generates a true JVM static method
        }
    }
}

When compiled, this allows Java code to call MyClass.javaStaticMethod() directly as a standard static method.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.