News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on nil, Nil, NULL, NSNull. Parent comment

Re:nil, Nil, NULL, NSNull by jerf on Monday January 07, 2013 @02:44PM (#5022777)
int and pointer to int are two different types. Pointer-to-int being an option type does not make int an option type. So there are still option types and non-option types.

(Using the prevailing terminology. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this use of the term "option type", but I'm rolling with it for now.)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:nil, Nil, NULL, NSNull by mikeash on Monday January 07, 2013 @02:51PM (#5022820)
Precisely. It's not the case that "any type can be an option type" as shock-value stated. Rather, in C, all pointer types are option types whether you want them to be or not, and all other types are not.
[ Parent | on HN ]