What is the Maybe type in Haskell?

Can you explain what the Maybe type is in Haskell?

Sure! The Maybe type in Haskell is used to represent values that might be absent. It can either be Just a value or Nothing.

How do I use Maybe in my functions?

You can use Maybe as a return type for functions that might fail. For example, a function that looks up a value in a list could return Just the value or Nothing if it's not found.

Can you give me an example of a function using Maybe?

Absolutely! Here's a simple example:

safeDivide :: Float -> Float -> Maybe Float
safeDivide _ 0 = Nothing
safeDivide x y = Just (x / y)

This function returns Nothing if the divisor is zero.

What are the benefits of using Maybe instead of error handling?

Using Maybe allows for safer code by avoiding runtime errors. It makes it clear when a function can fail and forces the caller to handle the absence of a value.