ligo/gitlab-pages/docs/language-basics/unit-option-pattern-matching.md
2019-12-10 13:47:31 +00:00

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---
id: unit-option-pattern-matching
title: Unit, Option, Pattern matching
---
Optionals are a programing pattern seen in OCaml. Since Michelson and LIGO are both inspired by OCaml, you'll have the *option* to use them in LIGO as well.
## Type unit
Units in Michelson or LIGO represent *for the lack of better words* - an empty/useless/not needed value.
Here's how they're defined:
> 💡 Units come in handy when we try pattern matching on custom variants below.
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<!--Pascaligo-->
```pascaligo
const n: unit = Unit;
```
<!--Cameligo-->
```cameligo
let n: unit = ()
```
<!--Reasonligo-->
```reasonligo
let n: unit = ();
```
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## Variants
Variant is a user-defined or a built-in type (in case of optionals) that can be compared to Enum (from javascript).
Here's how to define a new variant type:
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<!--Pascaligo-->
```pascaligo
type id is nat
type user is
| Admin of id
| Manager of id
| Guest;
const u: user = Admin(1000n);
const g: user = Guest(Unit);
```
<!--Cameligo-->
```cameligo
type id = nat
type user =
| Admin of id
| Manager of id
| Guest of unit
let u: user = Admin 1000n
let g: user = Guest ()
```
<!--Reasonligo-->
```reasonligo
type id = nat;
type user =
| Admin(id)
| Manager(id)
| Guest(unit);
let u: user = Admin(1000n);
let g: user = Guest();
```
<!--END_DOCUSAURUS_CODE_TABS-->
Defining a varient can be extremely useful for building semantically appealing contracts. We'll learn how to use variants for 'logic purposes' shortly.
## Optional values
Optionals are a type of built-in variant that can be used to determine if a variable holds a certain value or not. This is especially useful when (for example) your program's state allows for a certain variable value to be empty, like this:
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<!--Pascaligo-->
```pascaligo
type dinner is option(string);
// stay hungry
const p1: dinner = None;
// have some hamburgers
const p2: dinner = Some("Hamburgers")
```
<!--Cameligo-->
```cameligo
type dinner = string option
let p1: dinner = None
let p2: dinner = Some "Hamburgers"
```
<!--Reasonligo-->
```reasonligo
type dinner = option(string);
let p1: dinner = None;
let p2: dinner = Some("Hamburgers");
```
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## Pattern matching
Pattern matching is very similiar to e.g. `switch` in Javascript, and can be used to re-route the program's flow based on a value of a variant.
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<!--Pascaligo-->
```pascaligo
type dinner is option(string);
function is_hungry(const dinner: dinner): bool is block { skip }
with (
case dinner of
| None -> True
| Some(d) -> False
end
)
```
<!--Cameligo-->
```cameligo
type dinner = string option
let is_hungry (d: dinner) : bool =
match d with
| None -> true
| Some s -> false
```
<!--Reasonligo-->
```reasonligo
type dinner = option(string);
let is_hungry = (d: dinner): bool =>
switch (d) {
| None => true
| Some(s) => false
};
```
<!--END_DOCUSAURUS_CODE_TABS-->