Kotlin has revolutionized development on the JVM with its expressive syntax and powerful features. Among its most celebrated capabilities is the ability to create Type-Safe Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs). But what actually makes them tick, and how can we use them to write cleaner, more maintainable code?

In this session, we will dissect the anatomy of Kotlin DSLs. Moving beyond simple examples, we will explore practical, real-world use cases. We will demonstrate how DSLs can serve as a superior alternative to the verbose Builder pattern, how they can simplify Spring Bean registration without annotation fatigue, and how they can turn complex test data setup into readable specifications.

We will look under the hood to understand the core language features that make this magic possible—specifically lambdas with receivers, extension functions, and high-order functions.

Finally, we will put theory into practice with a live coding session, building a custom Kotlin DSL from scratch right on stage. You will leave this talk with a deep understanding of the mechanics behind Kotlin DSLs and the confidence to craft your own.