# An Optional's place in Kotlin

DevFeed: [An Optional's place in Kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/an-optional-s-place-in-kotlin-15498.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://developer.squareup.com/blog/an-optionals-place-in-kotlin>)

Author: Jake Wharton

Published: 2017-05-14T16:18:21Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Jake Wharton](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jake-wharton.md>), [Square Corner Blog RSS Feed](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/square-corner-blog-rss-feed.md>)

Topics: [Kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kotlin.md>), [Java](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/java.md>), [Open Source](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/open-source.md>)

Tags: [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [java](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/java.md>), [kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kotlin.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [optional](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/optional.md>), [releases](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/releases.md>), [serialization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/serialization.md>)

## AI overview

Kotlin's nullability support does not eliminate every use for Optional. Because RxJava 2 streams do not allow null values, Retrofit 2.3.0 adds converters that wrap potentially null deserialization results in Optional-like types from Guava and Java 8.

## Source excerpt

With nullability being a first-class citizen in Kotlin's type system, is there any need for an Optional type?