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C++17 in Detail: A Deep Dive

Returning std::optional

Explore how to return std::optional from functions in C++17 to handle nullable values safely. Understand the use of std::nullopt for unavailable values, copy elision benefits, and pitfalls of returning optionals inside braces.

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If you return an optional from a function, then it’s very convenient to return just std::nullopt or the computed value.

C++
std::optional<std::string> TryParse(Input input) {
    if (input.valid())
        return input.asString();
    return std::nullopt;
}
// use:
auto oStr = TryParse(Input{...});

In the above example you can see that the function returns std::string computed ...