In what way does Kotlin handle nullability?

Kotlin introduces a robust system for handling nullability that is designed to prevent the common pitfalls of null references, which are a frequent source of runtime errors in many programming languages. This approach is encapsulated in the concept of both nullable and non-nullable types.

In Kotlin, you can explicitly define types as non-nullable by default. This means that if a variable is declared to be of a particular type, it cannot hold a null reference unless it is explicitly allowed to do so. To allow a variable to hold null, you must append a question mark (?) to the type. For example, a variable of type String cannot be null, whereas String? can be null.

This explicit distinction enhances code safety and readability, leading to fewer null-related errors and requiring developers to deal with potential nullability right at the time of variable declaration. Thus, the correct choice reflects Kotlin's strong typing system and its emphasis on preventing null pointer exceptions by requiring developers to think carefully about whether their variables can be null or not.