Non-null objects, the Null Object pattern, and T.init

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

On 1/17/14 4:21 PM, Adam D. Ruppe wrote:
> On Saturday, 18 January 2014 at 00:12:16 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>> Yes, improving the language is in the cards. I have collected enough
>> hard evidence to convince myself that null references are a real and
>> important issue (previously I'd agreed with Walter who is considering
>> it not particularly remarkable).
>
> Have they tried using a NotNull!T yet?

Not a D project (Java/Android). However there is work underway on a 
static analyzer for Java. I cannot give exact stats, but we have 
gathered extensive data that null pointer exceptions form a major, major 
problem on Facebook's Android app, and that virtually all can be solved 
by static analysis.

No amount of speculation and hypothesizing will talk me out of that.


Andrei