Re: Suggestion about Collection

[Benoît Minisini <benoit.minisini@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Le 05/10/2025 à 14:30, Fabien Bodard a écrit :
> Hi Benoit,
>
> I think a standard way to disable the collection autoremoving for null 
> entry will be interesting.
>
> You have used an inherited class to do that in JSON... but finally why 
> not just add a function to the collection instance ?
>
> Dim c as Collection
> c.AllowNull = true (Default = false for back compatibilty)
>
> --
> Fabien Bodard

I think that it is useless for actual programs. I mean making a 
difference between "no value" and Null.

I follow that not just in Collection, but everywhere in Gambas. For 
example, there is no difference between "no string" and a zero-length 
string.

I had to make the difference with JSON, because (alas), JSON (and 
Javascript) makes a difference between "no value" (undefined) and null 
value.

I never found that distinction useful since the first time I wrote my 
first program when I was... I don't remember... A long time ago.

In Gambas, I only allow "undefined" values with the 'IsMissing()' 
special function, for optional arguments.

And new trending cult languages (like Rust) tend to forbid at runtime 
not only undefined, but null too, by detecting them at compilation time.

Regards,

--
Benoît Minisini.