Trying to recreate the behaviour of Optional...

gistfile1.txt

enum Foo<Wrapped> {
	case no
	case yes(Wrapped)
}

extension Foo: ExpressibleByNilLiteral {
	init(nilLiteral: ()) {
		self = .no
	}
}

extension Foo {
	init(_ value: Wrapped) {
		self = .yes(value)
	}
}

extension Foo: Equatable where Wrapped: Equatable {
	static func ==(lhs: Foo<Wrapped>, rhs: Foo<Wrapped>) -> Bool {
	  switch (lhs, rhs) {
	  case let (.yes(l), .yes(r)):
		return l == r
	  case (nil, nil):
		return true
	  default:
		return false
	  }
	}
}

@frozen
public struct _OptionalNilComparisonType: ExpressibleByNilLiteral {
	/// Create an instance initialized with `nil`.
	@_transparent
	public init(nilLiteral: ()) {
	}
}

extension Foo {
	  public static func ~=(lhs: _OptionalNilComparisonType, rhs: Foo<Wrapped>) -> Bool {
		switch rhs {
		case .yes:
		  return false
		case .no:
		  return true
		}
	  }

	  public static func ==(lhs: Foo<Wrapped>, rhs: _OptionalNilComparisonType) -> Bool {
		switch lhs {
		case .yes:
		  return false
		case .no:
		  return true
		}
	  }

	  public static func !=(lhs: Foo<Wrapped>, rhs: _OptionalNilComparisonType) -> Bool {
		switch lhs {
		case .yes:
		  return true
		case .no:
		  return false
		}
	  }

	  public static func ==(lhs: _OptionalNilComparisonType, rhs: Foo<Wrapped>) -> Bool {
		switch rhs {
		case .yes:
		  return false
		case .no:
		  return true
		}
	  }

	  public static func !=(lhs: _OptionalNilComparisonType, rhs: Foo<Wrapped>) -> Bool {
		switch rhs {
		case .yes:
		  return true
		case .no:
		  return false
		}
	  }
}

extension Foo: Hashable where Wrapped: Hashable {
  /// Hashes the essential components of this value by feeding them into the
  /// given hasher.
  ///
  /// - Parameter hasher: The hasher to use when combining the components
  ///   of this instance.
  @inlinable
  func hash(into hasher: inout Hasher) {
	switch self {
	case .no:
	  hasher.combine(0 as UInt8)
	case .yes(let wrapped):
	  hasher.combine(1 as UInt8)
	  hasher.combine(wrapped)
	}
  }
}

func ~=<Wrapped>(pattern: Wrapped, value: Foo<Wrapped>) -> Bool where Wrapped: Equatable {
	return Foo.yes(pattern) == value
}

enum Bar {
	case a
}

//let f: Foo<Bar> = .yes(.a)
let f: Foo<Bar> = nil

switch f {
case nil:
	print("Nothing to see here")
case .a:
	print("A")
case .no:
	print("No")
case .yes(let value):
	print(value)
}

@isaac-weisberg not really. You can only get so far. Optional has special privileges built into the compiler that allow it to get around stuff that just isn’t possible for use defined types.

like, you still need to provide .no in the switch even though nil covers that. Etc…

also, the fact that Optional is @Frozen means they don’t have to worry about adding new cases etc…