What are optional types and how do they work in different programming languages?

What are optional types and how do they work in different programming languages?

Optional types are types that can either hold a value or be null/undefined. They are used to handle cases where a value may not be present.

Can you give me examples of optional types in languages like Swift and TypeScript?

In Swift, you declare an optional type using a question mark, like var name: String?. In TypeScript, you can use a union type, like let name: string | null.

Are there any advantages to using optional types?

Yes, they help prevent runtime errors by making it clear when a value may be absent, encouraging safer code practices.

What about languages like Java or C#? Do they have optional types?

Yes, Java has Optional<T> and C# has nullable types, allowing similar functionality to handle absent values.