What are optionals in Swift?

What are optionals in Swift?

Optionals in Swift are a powerful feature that allows variables to have a value or no value (nil). They help in safely handling the absence of a value.

How do I declare an optional in Swift?

You declare an optional by adding a question mark after the type. For example, var name: String? means name can hold a string or be nil.

What’s the difference between optional and implicitly unwrapped optional?

An optional can be nil, while an implicitly unwrapped optional is assumed to have a value after being initially set, so it doesn't require unwrapping every time.

Can you show me an example of using optionals?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

var age: Int? = nil
if let unwrappedAge = age {
    print("Age is \(unwrappedAge)")
} else {
    print("Age is not set")
}