They’re not direct support, but option types only work in languages with the right syntax and tooling to make them work. C union types, for example, aren’t really capable of providing a null replacement simply because they’re so complex to use.
They’re not direct support, but option types only work in languages with the right syntax and tooling to make them work.
I strongly disagree.
You don't need pattern matching syntax to use option types effectively. All you need are the right methods - map, flatMap, getOrElse etc etc. Any language with inheritance and dynamic dispatch can implement a good option type.
Even in languages with pattern matching, I never reach for it when dealing with options.
