How does laravel optional() work?

@addison 

The optional() method in Laravel is used to prevent null pointer exceptions when accessing properties or calling methods on nullable objects. It returns an IlluminateSupportOptional instance that can be used to safely access properties or call methods on the underlying object without throwing an error if the object is null.

For example, consider the following code:

$user = User::find($id);

if ($user) { echo $user->name; }

This code checks if the $user object is not null before accessing the name property. Using the optional() method, you can rewrite the code as:

$user = optional(User::find($id));

echo $user->name;

This code will safely access the name property of the $user object without throwing an error if the object is null. If the $user object is null, the optional() method will return an IlluminateSupportOptional instance with a value of null, and calling any method or accessing any property on it will return null instead of causing an error.

In summary, the optional() method provides a convenient way to safely access properties or call methods on nullable objects without having to manually check for null values.