This module implements types which encapsulate an optional value.
A value of type Option[T] either contains a value x (represented as some(x)) or is empty (none(T)).
This can be useful when you have a value that can be present or not. The absence of a value is often represented by nil, but that is not always available, nor is it always a good solution.
Basic usage
Let's start with an example: a procedure that finds the index of a character in a string.
Example:
import pure/options proc find(haystack: string, needle: char): Option[int] = for i, c in haystack: if c == needle: return some(i) return none(int) # This line is actually optional, # because the default is empty let found = "abc".find('c') assert found.isSome and found.get() == 2The get operation demonstrated above returns the underlying value, or raises UnpackDefect if there is no value. Note that UnpackDefect inherits from system.Defect and should therefore never be caught. Instead, rely on checking if the option contains a value with the isSome and isNone procs.
Procs
proc `$`[T](self: Option[T]): string
-
Get the string representation of the Option.
Example:
assert $some(42) == "some(42)" assert $none(int) == "none(int)"
Source Edit proc `==`[T](a, b: Option[T]): bool {.inline.}
-
Returns true if both Options are none, or if they are both some and have equal values.
Example:
let a = some(42) b = none(int) c = some(42) d = none(int) assert a == c assert b == d assert not (a == b)
Source Edit proc filter[T](self: Option[T]; callback: proc (input: T): bool): Option[T] {. inline.}
-
Applies a callback to the value of the Option.
If the callback returns true, the option is returned as some. If it returns false, it is returned as none.
See also:
Example:
proc isEven(x: int): bool = x mod 2 == 0 assert some(42).filter(isEven) == some(42) assert none(int).filter(isEven) == none(int) assert some(-11).filter(isEven) == none(int)
Source Edit proc flatMap[T, R](self: Option[T]; callback: proc (input: T): Option[R]): Option[ R] {.inline.}
-
Applies a callback function to the value of the Option and returns the new value.
If the Option has no value, none(R) will be returned.
This is similar to map, with the difference that the callback returns an Option, not a raw value. This allows multiple procs with a signature of A -> Option[B] to be chained together.
See also:
Example:
proc doublePositives(x: int): Option[int] = if x > 0: some(2 * x) else: none(int) assert some(42).flatMap(doublePositives) == some(84) assert none(int).flatMap(doublePositives) == none(int) assert some(-11).flatMap(doublePositives) == none(int)
Source Edit proc flatten[T](self: Option[Option[T]]): Option[T] {.inline.}
-
Remove one level of structure in a nested Option.
See also:
Example:
assert flatten(some(some(42))) == some(42) assert flatten(none(Option[int])) == none(int)
Source Edit proc get[T](self: Option[T]): lent T {.inline.}
-
Returns the content of an Option. If it has no value, an UnpackDefect exception is raised.
See also:
- get proc with a default return value
Example:
assert some(42).get == 42 doAssertRaises(UnpackDefect): echo none(string).get
Source Edit proc get[T](self: Option[T]; otherwise: T): T {.inline.}
-
Returns the content of the Option or otherwise if the Option has no value.
Example:
assert some(42).get(9999) == 42 assert none(int).get(9999) == 9999
Source Edit proc get[T](self: var Option[T]): var T {.inline.}
-
Returns the content of the var Option mutably. If it has no value, an UnpackDefect exception is raised.
Example:
var a = some(42) b = none(string) inc(a.get) assert a.get == 43 doAssertRaises(UnpackDefect): echo b.get
Source Edit proc isNone[T](self: Option[T]): bool {.inline.}
-
Checks if an Option is empty.
See also:
Example:
assert not some(42).isNone assert none(string).isNone
Source Edit proc isSome[T](self: Option[T]): bool {.inline.}
-
Checks if an Option contains a value.
See also:
Example:
assert some(42).isSome assert not none(string).isSome
Source Edit proc map[T, R](self: Option[T]; callback: proc (input: T): R): Option[R] {. inline.}
-
Applies a callback function to the value of the Option and returns an Option containing the new value.
If the Option has no value, none(R) will be returned.
See also:
- map proc
- flatMap proc for a version with a callback that returns an Option
Example:
proc isEven(x: int): bool = x mod 2 == 0 assert some(42).map(isEven) == some(true) assert none(int).map(isEven) == none(bool)
Source Edit proc map[T](self: Option[T]; callback: proc (input: T)) {.inline.}
-
Applies a callback function to the value of the Option, if it has one.
See also:
- map proc for a version with a callback which returns a value
Example:
var d = 0 proc saveDouble(x: int) = d = 2 * x none(int).map(saveDouble) assert d == 0 some(42).map(saveDouble) assert d == 84
Source Edit proc none(T: typedesc): Option[T] {.inline.}
-
Returns an Option for this type that has no value.
See also:
Example:
assert none(int).isNone
Source Edit proc option[T](val: sink T): Option[T] {.inline.}
-
Can be used to convert a pointer type (ptr, pointer, ref or proc) to an option type. It converts nil to none(T). When T is no pointer type, this is equivalent to some(val).
See also:
Example:
type Foo = ref object a: int b: string assert option[Foo](nil).isNone assert option(42).isSome
Source Edit