Re: [Haskell-cafe] Maybe a, The Rationale

PR Stanley writes:

What is the underlying rationale for the Maybe data type?

It is the equivalent of a database field that can be NULL.

is it the safe style of programming it encourages/

Yes. Consider C, where this is typically done with a NULL pointer, or Lisp, where you use the empty list, nil. These are perfectly good values in themselves, while Nothing is just Nothing, if you pardon the pun. -k -- If I haven't seen further, it is by standing in the footprints of giants