OptionalV

OptionalV is a lightweight software library that provides a canonical representation for optional values, used to encode the presence or absence of a value without using null references. The central type, OptionalV<T>, can be in one of two states: present with a value of type T or absent. The API emphasizes safe composition through functional combinators such as map, flatMap (or andThen), filter, getOrElse, orElse, and toOption/toNullable conversions. OptionalV is designed to integrate with existing error-handling patterns by allowing chaining without raising exceptions.

OptionalV values are immutable. Creating an optional with a value is done via OptionalV.of(value) or OptionalV.some(value); representing absence uses OptionalV.none() or OptionalV.empty(). The library supports pattern matching in languages that offer it, enabling concise handling of present and absent cases.

It originated in the mid-2010s as part of a broader movement toward explicit null safety. It is implemented in multiple languages via language-specific adapters, including a core API and a set of adapters for inter-language data exchange. Developers use OptionalV to reduce null-related bugs and to express intent in APIs that return optional results, such as file I/O, remote calls, or user input handling.

Typical usage involves mapping and chaining: OptionalV.of(userInput).map(parse).flatMap(save).orElse(defaultValue). If the value is absent at any step, the chain short-circuits and a fallback is provided by orElse.

OptionalV is part of a family of optional value types that includes Maybe and Option. It has influenced language-native option types and functional libraries in several ecosystems.