Type-Safe Interfaces with Modern C++ - What Is an Optional?

The video tutorial explores the concept of Optional T in C++, detailing its properties, use cases, and implementation. Optional T can be set or unset, representing a value that may or may not be present. It is used to model functions that can fail, control object lifetimes, and manage non-mandatory data members. The tutorial compares Optional T with smart pointers and raw pointers, highlighting its advantages in terms of value semantics and memory efficiency. Examples demonstrate how Optional T can be used in function signatures and data structures, particularly in microservice architectures.

What does an optional T represent in programming?

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How does an optional T differ from a pointer?

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Explain the two states an optional T can be in.

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Describe how you can use an optional to model a function that can fail.

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What are the benefits of using optional types in data structures?

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Discuss the memory layout of an optional T.

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What are the drawbacks of using smart pointers compared to optional types?

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