3 ms·

Again, optional is different from pointer because it offers value semantics.

• monocasa 6y ago
  I know they're different (and the construct unfortunately named optional has some occasional uses); it's just that the semantics of optional don't help it be used as a classic optional type.
  • jcelerier 6y ago
    > it's just that the semantics of optional don't help it be used as a classic optional type. what do you mean "classic optional type"? boost.optional has worked like that for something like 20 years - it's been in C++ for longer than Maybe has been in Haskell.
    • monocasa 6y ago
      It's been in Standard ML since the 80s.
    • tome 6y ago
      > it's been in C++ for longer than Maybe has been in Haskell. Tangentially, how did you conclude that? Haskell has around since 1990 but boost only since 1999, as far as I can tell. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost_(C%2B%2B_libraries) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost_(C%2B%2B_libraries)