Kill SDK¶

Completely terminate the SDK¶

KindlySDK.kill()

The kill() method completely terminates the SDK and clears all state. This is more destructive than endChat() which only disconnects the chat session.

What kill() does¶

When you call kill(), the SDK will: - 🔄 Disconnect the chat session (same as endChat()) - 🧹 Clear all session data including messages and context - ⚡ Reset SDK initialization state - 🔑 Clear bot key and authentication - 🎨 Reset configuration and themes - 📡 Emit termination events for cleanup

After calling kill()¶

After calling kill(), the SDK returns to an uninitialized state: - ❌ You cannot call launchChat() or other SDK methods - ✅ You must call start() again before using any SDK functions - ✅ All configuration (themes, permissions, etc.) needs to be set up again

Usage Examples¶

Complete SDK Shutdown¶

// Terminate the SDK completely
KindlySDK.kill()
println("✅ SDK completely terminated")
// SDK is now in uninitialized state

Switch to Different Bot (Alternative Method)¶

// Method 1: Using kill() for explicit control
KindlySDK.kill()
// SDK is now uninitialized - must call start() again
KindlySDK.start(
    application = this,
    botKey = "new-bot-key",
    languageCode = "en"
)
KindlySDK.launchChat(context = this)

// Method 2: Automatic switching (recommended)
KindlySDK.start(
    application = this,
    botKey = "new-bot-key",  // SDK handles cleanup automatically
    languageCode = "en"
)
KindlySDK.launchChat(context = this)

When to Use kill() vs endChat()¶

Use `kill()` when:¶

🔄 App shutdown: Terminating the app or major state changes
🔀 Complete reset: Need to clear all SDK state and start fresh
🐛 Error recovery: Recovering from SDK errors or corruption
🧪 Testing: Ensuring clean state between test runs

Use `endChat()` when:¶

💬 End conversation: User finishes chatting but may return later
🔄 Temporary disconnect: Preserving SDK state for quick reconnection
🎯 Normal flow: Standard chat lifecycle management

Comparison¶

Method	Session	SDK State	Bot Key	Config	Next Action
`endChat()`	❌ Cleared	✅ Preserved	✅ Preserved	✅ Preserved	`launchChat()`
`kill()`	❌ Cleared	❌ Reset	❌ Cleared	❌ Reset	`start()` required

Synchronous Operation¶

The kill() method completes synchronously, ensuring all cleanup is finished before returning:

KindlySDK.kill()
// Safe to reinitialize immediately after this line
KindlySDK.start(
    application = this,
    botKey = "new-bot-key",
    languageCode = "en"
)

Best Practices¶

Safe to call immediately after kill():

KindlySDK.kill()
// Immediately safe to reinitialize
KindlySDK.start(application = this, botKey = "new-bot")

Use automatic bot switching instead of manual kill/start when possible:

// Preferred: Automatic cleanup
KindlySDK.start(application = this, botKey = "new-bot")

// Instead of: Manual cleanup  
KindlySDK.kill()
KindlySDK.start(application = this, botKey = "new-bot")

Handle errors gracefully in production apps:

try {
    KindlySDK.kill()
    // Continue with app flow
} catch (e: Exception) {
    Log.e("SDK", "Kill failed, but continuing", e)
}

Thread Safety¶

The kill() method is thread-safe and can be called from any thread. However, subsequent SDK operations should follow the main thread requirements of the Android SDK.

For normal chat lifecycle management, prefer endChat() over kill().