{code null} thread

null -- useful tool or a catastrophe?

>>1
Useful tool if the programmer checks for nulls. Alternatives to nulls usually result in programmers selecting arbitrary sentinel values like 9999.
>but why not option types and tagged unions
Most programmers either too brainlet to properly use them or want to save overhead of using these types. Plus the code using nulls often looks shorter/cleaner and easier to read.

>>2
how the hell is null-checking cleaner than optionals? here's a hint: optionals can be chained/composed

>>2

Useful tool if the programmer checks for nulls

Walking on the freeway is a reasonable way of transport if you keep checking for approaching trucks.

data Maybe a = Just a | Nothing

>>5
that's just another way of writing the same nullable unsafe shit

>>3
I said it looks cleaner/simpler to read: its kinds more "obvious" and in your face.

/prog/ Challenge 420
Invent an alternative to sentinel values such as NULL, which doesn't add overhead.

Undefined
Undef or NIL/NULL

Defined
Might be empty
Might have a value


defined($var) == !isnull($var) # Always true
!defined($var) && empty($var) # Always false
!defined($var) && isnull($var) # Always true
empty($var) && isnull($var) # Always false

Btw, sepples has optionals. Enjoy:
http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/utility/optional

0 - useful tool or a cat ass trophe?

>>8
Passing a length value is free on architectures that have enough registers and out-of-order execution. It also allows for length-dependent iteration rather than data-dependent, which makes for faster loops. On your mum's 486 though, not so much.