What operations and capabilities does using a data class provide in a programming language?

A data class in Kotlin is a special class designed for storing data. When declaring a class with the data keyword, the compiler automatically generates several useful methods:

• equals() and hashCode() — for comparing objects by value, not by reference.
• toString() — for convenient output of the object's contents.
• copy() — for creating a copy of the object with the ability to modify some properties.
• componentN() functions — for destructuring the object.

Example:

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

fun main() {
    val user1 = User("Ivan", 30)
    val user2 = user1.copy(age = 31)
    println(user1) // User(name=Ivan, age=30)
    println(user2) // User(name=Ivan, age=31)

    val (name, age) = user1
    println("Name: $name, Age: $age")
}

Thus, data class simplifies working with objects that primarily contain data, reducing boilerplate code.