What feature does Kotlin provide for handling nullable types?

Kotlin provides a feature known as Null Safety, which is designed to eliminate the null pointer exceptions that are common in many programming languages. In Kotlin, nullable types are explicitly defined using a question mark (?), allowing developers to indicate when a variable can hold a null value. This feature enforces a more mindful approach to handling null values, requiring developers to explicitly check for null before performing operations on those variables.

By doing so, Kotlin ensures that you either handle the nullable type safely through nullable-specific operations, or you provide a non-null value. This leads to safer code that is less prone to crashes due to null reference issues. With Null Safety, Kotlin encourages a clean and interactive approach, where the compiler will often assist in guiding developers to handle potential null scenarios consciously.

The other options, like Optional Types, Type Casting, and Safe Calls, do exist in various contexts within programming but do not directly represent the core mechanism of Kotlin’s approach to nullability. Thus, recognizing that Null Safety is a foundational concept in Kotlin essential for handling nullable types effectively is critical for any developer working with this language.