Maybe package:classy-prelude

The Maybe type encapsulates an optional value. A value of type Maybe a either contains a value of type a (represented as Just a), or it is empty (represented as Nothing). Using Maybe is a good way to deal with errors or exceptional cases without resorting to drastic measures such as error. The Maybe type is also a monad. It is a simple kind of error monad, where all errors are represented by Nothing. A richer error monad can be built using the Either type.

The maybe function takes a default value, a function, and a Maybe value. If the Maybe value is Nothing, the function returns the default value. Otherwise, it applies the function to the value inside the Just and returns the result.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> maybe False odd (Just 3)
True

>>> maybe False odd Nothing
False

Read an integer from a string using readMaybe. If we succeed, return twice the integer; that is, apply (*2) to it. If instead we fail to parse an integer, return 0 by default:

>>> import Text.Read ( readMaybe )

>>> maybe 0 (*2) (readMaybe "5")
10

>>> maybe 0 (*2) (readMaybe "")
0

Apply show to a Maybe Int. If we have Just n, we want to show the underlying Int n. But if we have Nothing, we return the empty string instead of (for example) "Nothing":

>>> maybe "" show (Just 5)
"5"

>>> maybe "" show Nothing
""

The maybeToList function returns an empty list when given Nothing or a singleton list when given Just.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> maybeToList (Just 7)
[7]

>>> maybeToList Nothing
[]

One can use maybeToList to avoid pattern matching when combined with a function that (safely) works on lists:

>>> import Text.Read ( readMaybe )

>>> sum $ maybeToList (readMaybe "3")
3

>>> sum $ maybeToList (readMaybe "")
0

The fromMaybe function takes a default value and a Maybe value. If the Maybe is Nothing, it returns the default value; otherwise, it returns the value contained in the Maybe.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> fromMaybe "" (Just "Hello, World!")
"Hello, World!"

>>> fromMaybe "" Nothing
""

Read an integer from a string using readMaybe. If we fail to parse an integer, we want to return 0 by default:

>>> import Text.Read ( readMaybe )

>>> fromMaybe 0 (readMaybe "5")
5

>>> fromMaybe 0 (readMaybe "")
0

The listToMaybe function returns Nothing on an empty list or Just a where a is the first element of the list.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> listToMaybe []
Nothing

>>> listToMaybe [9]
Just 9

>>> listToMaybe [1,2,3]
Just 1

Composing maybeToList with listToMaybe should be the identity on singleton/empty lists:

>>> maybeToList $ listToMaybe [5]
[5]

>>> maybeToList $ listToMaybe []
[]

But not on lists with more than one element:

>>> maybeToList $ listToMaybe [1,2,3]
[1]

The mapMaybe function is a version of map which can throw out elements. In particular, the functional argument returns something of type Maybe b. If this is Nothing, no element is added on to the result list. If it is Just b, then b is included in the result list.

Examples

Using mapMaybe f x is a shortcut for catMaybes $ map f x in most cases:

>>> import Text.Read ( readMaybe )

>>> let readMaybeInt = readMaybe :: String -> Maybe Int

>>> mapMaybe readMaybeInt ["1", "Foo", "3"]
[1,3]

>>> catMaybes $ map readMaybeInt ["1", "Foo", "3"]
[1,3]

If we map the Just constructor, the entire list should be returned:

>>> mapMaybe Just [1,2,3]
[1,2,3]