How do you define a data class in Kotlin?

A data class in Kotlin is defined using the data class keyword followed by the class constructor. This specific syntax is essential as it signals to the Kotlin compiler that the primary purpose of this class is to hold data. When you declare a class as a data class, Kotlin automatically provides several useful functionalities, including automatic implementations of toString(), equals(), hashCode(), and copy() methods, which are commonly needed for a class that is intended to encapsulate data.

For example, a standard declaration of a data class appears as follows:

data class User(val name: String, val age: Int)

This declaration not only simplifies the creation of data classes but also ensures that the class is geared towards immutability and clean representations of data.

Other options suggest incorrect ways of defining a class and do not include the correct keyword data. The class keyword alone does not provide the same automatic functionalities. The object keyword is used for singleton classes, which do not involve multiple instances or hold data in the same way. An interface is a contract for classes to implement and does not directly define data classes. Thus, using data class is the appropriate and correct