A public repository for proposals and design notes that guide the evolution of the Kotlin programming language and its standard library.
KEEP (Kotlin Evolution and Enhancement Process) is the official repository and process for proposing, discussing, and documenting changes to the Kotlin programming language and its standard library. It hosts formal proposals (KEEPs) and design notes that guide the language's evolution through transparent, community-driven review stages. The process ensures that enhancements are well-documented and shaped by real-world use cases before implementation.
Kotlin language designers, core contributors, and developers interested in influencing or understanding the future direction of the Kotlin language and standard library.
It provides a structured, open forum for transparent language evolution, where community feedback directly impacts Kotlin's design decisions, distinguishing it from closed or opaque language development processes.
Kotlin Evolution and Enhancement Process
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Each proposal enters GitHub Discussions for community feedback, as stated in the README, ensuring open scrutiny before decisions are made.
KEEP documents lifecycle stages like 'Public discussion' and 'Stable', providing visibility into proposal progress from idea to implementation.
Updates are shared via Kotlin Slack and RSS feeds, keeping the community engaged with new proposals, as highlighted in the README.
Design notes in a separate directory allow collaborative discussion on incomplete ideas, gathering use-cases before formal proposals.
New proposals must start with YouTrack tickets, not direct PRs, adding friction for contributors, as the README states 'We don't expect Pull Requests that submit new KEEP proposals.'
Feedback is split between GitHub Discussions and YouTrack issues, which can complicate follow-ups and reduce clarity in community input.
The formal review process, including public discussion stages, may delay implementation of time-sensitive language enhancements.