# 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 nested within the `optional` object, which means that 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.

The `optional` object is a `view` that contains either one element if it contains a value, or otherwise zero elements if it does not contain a value. The lifetime of the contained element is bound to the object. | (since C++26)

There are no optional references, functions, arrays, or cv void; a program is ill-formed if it instantiates an `optional` with such a type. In addition, a program is ill-formed if it instantiates an `optional` with the (possibly cv-qualified) 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 (in particular, array and reference types are not allowed).

### Member types

Member name | Definition
`value_type` | `T`
`iterator` (since C++26) | implementation-defined LegacyRandomAccessIterator, ConstexprIterator, and `contiguous_iterator` whose `value_type` and `reference` are std::remove_cv_t <T> and T&, respectively.
`const_iterator` (since C++26) | implementation-defined LegacyRandomAccessIterator, ConstexprIterator, and `contiguous_iterator` whose `value_type` and `reference` are std::remove_cv_t <T> and const T&, respectively.

All requirements on the iterator types of a Container apply to the `iterator` type of `optional` as well.

### 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)

##### Iterators

begin (C++26) | returns an iterator to the beginning (public member function)
end (C++26) | returns an iterator to the end (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)

##### Monadic operations

and_then (C++23) | returns the result of the given function on the contained value if it exists, or an empty `optional` otherwise (public member function)
transform (C++23) | returns an `optional` containing the transformed contained value if it exists, or an empty `optional` otherwise (public member function)
or_else (C++23) | returns the `optional` itself if it contains a value, or the result of the given function 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>=operator<=> (C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++17)(C++20) | 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 template)

### Helper classes

std::hash<std::optional> (C++17) | hash support for `std::optional` (class template specialization)
nullopt_t (C++17) | indicator of an `std::optional` that does not contain a value (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_placein_place_typein_place_indexin_place_tin_place_type_tin_place_index_t (C++17) | in-place construction tag (tag)

### Helper specializations

template< class T > constexpr bool ranges::enable_view <std::optional<T>> = true; |  | (since C++26)

This specialization of ranges::enable_view makes `optional` satisfy `view`.

template< class T > constexpr auto format_kind<std::optional<T>> = range_format::disabled; |  | (since C++26)

This specialization of format_kind disables the range formatting support of `optional`.

### Deduction guides

### Notes

Feature-test macro | Value | Std | Feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
`__cpp_lib_optional` | `201606L` | (C++17) | `std::optional`
`202106L` | (C++23) (DR20) | Fully constexpr
`202110L` | (C++23) | Monadic operations
`__cpp_lib_optional_range_support` | `202406L` | (C++26) | Range support for `std::optional`

### Example

Run this code

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

    // 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;
    }

    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';
    }

Output:

    create(false) returned empty
    create2(true) returned Godzilla

### See also

variant (C++17) | a type-safe discriminated union (class template)
any (C++17) | objects that hold instances of any CopyConstructible type (class)
expected (C++23) | a wrapper that contains either an expected or error value (class template)
ranges::single_viewviews::single (C++20) | a `view` that contains a single element of a specified value (class template) (customization point object)
ranges::empty_viewviews::empty (C++20) | an empty `view` with no elements (class template) (variable template)

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