What is Nullable type

A nullable type is a programming concept that allows a variable to hold a value that can be either a regular value of a specified data type or a special value representing the absence of a value, typically denoted as null or nil in various programming languages. Nullable types are particularly useful for handling cases where a variable may be undefined or absent.

This concept is especially relevant in statically typed programming languages, where variables are required to have a specific data type. Nullable types allow you to declare variables that can contain either a value of a defined data type or null. This simplifies the handling of situations where a value might not be set or when you need to explicitly indicate the absence of a value.

Examples of programming languages that support nullable types include:

1. C#: In C#, nullable types are created using the ? operator, for example: int? nullableInt = null;.
2. Kotlin: In Kotlin, nullable types are indicated using ?, for example: var nullableString: String? = null.
3. Swift: In Swift, nullable types are created using ? or !, for example: var nullableInt: Int? = nil.
4. TypeScript: In TypeScript, you can use null or undefined as values for all data types to indicate the absence of a value.

Using nullable types helps prevent errors related to accessing uninitialized variables or variables with missing values, making your code safer. However, when using nullable types, it’s essential to handle cases where the value is null carefully to avoid runtime errors.