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

[bearophile]

> 1) Pick the most common types, like pointers/class references, 
> integral values, and few others, and hard code their handling 
> very well in the language.

This is what Ada usually does.


> 2) Try to implement some barely working versions using the 
> existing language features.

This is what D often has done.


> 3) Add enough tools to the language to allow the creation of 
> "good enough" library defined features. (This is hard to do. 
> Currently you can't implement "good enough" not-nullable 
> reference types or ranged integers in D).

This is what some language as ATS tries to do.


> 4) Give up and accept to use a simpler language, with a simpler 
> compiler, that is more easy to create and develop.

This is what Go often does (in other cases it hard-codes a 
solution, like the built-in associative arrays).

Bye,
bearophile