Nothing Data Type
Dave Braunschweig
Overview
A nothing data type is a feature of some programming languages which allow the setting of a special value to indicate a missing or uninitialized value rather than using the value 0 (zero).[1]
Discussion
Most programming languages support the use of a reserved word or words to represent missing, uninitialized, or invalid values.
| Language | Reserved Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| C++ | null |
no value |
| C# | null |
no value |
| Java | null |
no value |
| JavaScript | null |
no value |
| JavaScript | NaN |
Not a Number |
| Python | None |
no value |
| Swift | nil |
no value |
Key Terms
- NaN
- Reserved word used to indicate a non-numeric value in a numeric variable.
- null
- Reserved word used to represent a missing value or invalid value.
