# std::optional

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Defined in header `<optional>` |  |
template< class T > class optional; |  | (since C++17)

The class template `std::optional` manages an optional contained value, i.e. a value that may or may not be present.

A common use case for `optional` is the return value of a function that may fail. As opposed to other approaches, such as std::pair <T,bool>, `optional` handles expensive-to-construct objects well and is more readable, as the intent is expressed explicitly.

Any instance of `optional<T>` at any given point in time either contains a value or does not contain a value.

If an `optional<T>` contains a value, the value is guaranteed to be allocated as part of the `optional` object footprint, i.e. no dynamic memory allocation ever takes place. Thus, an `optional` object models an object, not a pointer, even though operator*() and operator->() are defined.

When an object of type optional<T> is contextually converted to bool, the conversion returns true if the object contains a value and false if it does not contain a value.

The `optional` object contains a value in the following conditions:

- The object is initialized with/assigned from a value of type `T` or another `optional` that contains a value.

The object does not contain a value in the following conditions:

- The object is default-initialized.
- The object is initialized with/assigned from a value of type std::nullopt_t or an `optional` object that does not contain a value.
- The member function reset() is called.

There are no optional references; a program is ill-formed if it instantiates an `optional` with a reference type. Alternatively, an `optional` of a std::reference_wrapper of type `T` may be used to hold a reference. In addition, a program is ill-formed if it instantiates an `optional` with the tag types std::nullopt_t or std::in_place_t.

### Template parameters

T | - | the type of the value to manage initialization state for. The type must meet the requirements of Destructible

### Member types

Member type | Definition
`value_type` | `T`

### Member functions

(constructor) | constructs the optional object (public member function)
(destructor) | destroys the contained value, if there is one (public member function)
operator= | assigns contents (public member function)

##### Observers

operator->operator* | accesses the contained value (public member function)
operator boolhas_value | checks whether the object contains a value (public member function)
value | returns the contained value (public member function)
value_or | returns the contained value if available, another value otherwise (public member function)

##### Modifiers

swap | exchanges the contents (public member function)
reset | destroys any contained value (public member function)
emplace | constructs the contained value in-place (public member function)

### Non-member functions

operator==operator!=operator<operator<=operator>operator>= (C++17) | compares `optional` objects (function template)
make_optional (C++17) | creates an `optional` object (function template)
std::swap(std::optional) (C++17) | specializes the std::swap algorithm (function)

### Helper classes

std::hash<std::optional> (C++17) | specializes the std::hash algorithm (class template specialization)
nullopt_t (C++17) | indicator of optional type with uninitialized state (class)
bad_optional_access (C++17) | exception indicating checked access to an optional that doesn't contain a value (class)

### Helpers

nullopt (C++17) | an object of type `nullopt_t` (constant)
in_place in_place_type in_place_index in_place_t in_place_type_t in_place_index_t (C++17) | in-place construction tag (class template)

### Deduction guides

### Example

Run this code

    #include <string>
    #include <functional>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <optional>

    // optional can be used as the return type of a factory that may fail
    std::optional<std::string> create(bool b) {
        if (b)
            return "Godzilla";
        return {};
    }

    // std::nullopt can be used to create any (empty) std::optional
    auto create2(bool b) {
        return b ? std::optional<std::string>{"Godzilla"} : std::nullopt;
    }

    // std::reference_wrapper may be used to return a reference
    auto create_ref(bool b) {
        static std::string value = "Godzilla";
        return b ? std::optional<std::reference_wrapper<std::string>>{value}
                 : std::nullopt;
    }

    int main()
    {
        std::cout << "create(false) returned "
                  << create(false).value_or("empty") << '\n';

        // optional-returning factory functions are usable as conditions of while and if
        if (auto str = create2(true)) {
            std::cout << "create2(true) returned " << *str << '\n';
        }

        if (auto str = create_ref(true)) {
            // using get() to access the reference_wrapper's value
            std::cout << "create_ref(true) returned " << str->get() << '\n';
            str->get() = "Mothra";
            std::cout << "modifying it changed it to " << str->get() << '\n';
        }
    }

Output:

    create(false) returned empty
    create2(true) returned Godzilla
    create_ref(true) returned Godzilla
    modifying it changed it to Mothra

### See also

variant (C++17) | a type-safe discriminated union (class template)
any (C++17) | Objects that hold instances of any CopyConstructible type. (class)

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