Maybe package:relude

Utility functions to work with Maybe data type as monad.

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 GHC.Internal.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 parameterizable maybe monad, obtained by composing an arbitrary monad with the Maybe monad. Computations are actions that may produce a value or exit. The return function yields a computation that produces that value, while >>= sequences two subcomputations, exiting if either computation does.

!!? with its arguments flipped. Get element from list using index value starting from `0`.

>>> maybeAt 0 []
Nothing

>>> maybeAt 3 ["a", "b", "c"]
Nothing

>>> maybeAt (-1) [1, 2, 3]
Nothing

>>> maybeAt 2 ["a", "b", "c"]
Just "c"

Maps Maybe to Either wrapping default value into Right.

>>> maybeToLeft True (Just "aba")
Left "aba"

>>> maybeToLeft True Nothing
Right True

Maps Maybe to Either wrapping default value into Left.

>>> maybeToRight True (Just "aba")
Right "aba"

>>> maybeToRight True Nothing
Left True

Convert a MaybeT computation to ExceptT, with a default exception value.

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 GHC.Internal.Text.Read ( readMaybe )

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

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

Extracts Monoid value from Maybe returning mempty if Nothing.

>>> maybeToMonoid (Just [1,2,3] :: Maybe [Int])
[1,2,3]

>>> maybeToMonoid (Nothing :: Maybe [Int])
[]

Maps left part of Either to Maybe.

>>> leftToMaybe (Left True)
Just True

>>> leftToMaybe (Right "aba")
Nothing

Maps right part of Either to Maybe.

>>> rightToMaybe (Left True)
Nothing

>>> rightToMaybe (Right "aba")
Just "aba"

The monadic version of the mapMaybe function.

>>> :{
evenInHalf :: Int -> IO (Maybe Int)
evenInHalf n
| even n = pure $ Just $ n `div` 2
| otherwise = pure Nothing
:}

>>> mapMaybeM evenInHalf [1..10]
[1,2,3,4,5]

The catMaybes function takes a list of Maybes and returns a list of all the Just values.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> catMaybes [Just 1, Nothing, Just 3]
[1,3]

When constructing a list of Maybe values, catMaybes can be used to return all of the "success" results (if the list is the result of a map, then mapMaybe would be more appropriate):

>>> import GHC.Internal.Text.Read ( readMaybe )

>>> [readMaybe x :: Maybe Int | x <- ["1", "Foo", "3"] ]
[Just 1,Nothing,Just 3]

>>> catMaybes $ [readMaybe x :: Maybe Int | x <- ["1", "Foo", "3"] ]
[1,3]

Convert a ExceptT computation to MaybeT, discarding the value of any exception.

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 GHC.Internal.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 GHC.Internal.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]

Lift a Maybe to the MaybeT monad

Parse a string using the Read instance. Succeeds if there is exactly one valid result.

>>> readMaybe "123" :: Maybe Int
Just 123

>>> readMaybe "hello" :: Maybe Int
Nothing

@since base-4.6.0.0