4 ms·

nil is just shorthand for Optional.None, which is Just Another Value. (sort of, really you can make nil translate to any type, but please don't)

• valleyer 10y ago
  Fair but I don't think the original claim was intended that pedantically! :)
  • masklinn 10y ago
    The point of the original claim was that modern language (like Swift or Rust) tend not to make null part of every (reference) type. That Swift has a shorthand for Optional.None doesn't change that, nil isn't a valid value for e.g. a String (as it would be in Java or Go), only for String? (which is a shorthand for Optional<String>)
    • esrauch 10y ago
      What you are describing is no different than modern Java where variables are marked @Nullable and its a compiler or linter error to dereference it without being inside a null-check conditional. If you don't use this in Java it is just the same as having String? as your type everywhere.
      • masklinn 10y ago
        > What you are describing is no different than modern Java It is in fact quite different. String/String? is not an optional annotation requiring the use of a linter and integration within an entire ecosystem which mostly doesn't use or care for it, it's a core part of the language's type system. > If you don't use this in Java it is just the same as having String? as your type everywhere. Except using String? everywhere is less convenient than using String everywhere, whereas not using @Nullable and a linter is much easier than doing so.,
    • chris_7 10y ago
      String isn't a reference type in Swift, but yes.