Glossary coding Term Page

Option

A Rust enum that forces missing values to be handled explicitly

option #rust#enum#null-safety

Korean version

Aliases

Option<T>maybe value

Prerequisites

Enum

Related Concepts

Enum match Expression Result Reference Lifetime

Core Idea

Option is Rust's standard enum for expressing whether a value exists as Some(T) or is absent as None. Instead of allowing a hidden null, Rust makes the missing-value case part of the type system.

Why It Matters Here

Mathbong uses Option across optional struct fields, borrowed return values, and match-based branching. It is the basic tool for saying "this value may be missing" without losing safety.

Posts Mentioning This Concept

[Rust Series 9] Expressing State with Enums and Pattern Matching Use enum, match, and Option to represent diverse states safely and branch without guesswork.[Rust Series Part 15] Shaping Data Flow with Iterators and Closures Combine the Iterator trait and closures to build readable data-processing pipelines.[Rust Series Part 11] Error Handling Basics Learn how to design safe failure paths with Result, panic!, and the ? operator.