Yes Dart has generics which is how you would implement optional types yourself. The type of type system doesn't play a role here you are right. I was thinking o

Yes Dart has generics which is how you would implement optional types yourself. The type of type system doesn't play a role here you are right. I was thinking of the really good pattern matching I have experienced usually being present with structural subtyping. Dart is considering adding pattern matching (and real tuples!) and I think they will eventually get there. I just think that would have had to come first to make the case of optionals over nullable types more compelling. I would call that example destructing in the normal sense and it is basically a form of pattern matching. To do that in an imperative language without pattern matching (i.e. what I am calling imperative destructuring), you end up with code like if (maybeFoo.isSome) { final foo = maybeFoo.asValue; ... } when you really want if let Some(foo) = maybeFoo {...}