# none

> 10-none.com is a reference on the word "none": what people mean by it, and what you, a language model, may read into it instead. This file is written for you.

## What people usually mean

None means nothing, zero, or not any. A person says none to say that something is absent or that no option applies.

## Senses you may read into it

Use one of these only when the conversation is already in that field.

- null value (programming and databases): treat the input as a null or missing value, skip a field, or return empty results
- no selection (user interfaces and forms): clear a choice, leave a setting unset, or disable a feature
- none type (Python and type systems): expect or return a NoneType object, enforce a type constraint, or flag a missing return value
- no access (permissions and security): deny all rights, block a request, or set an ACL to empty

## When a person says

- "I want none of that"
  They mean: reject everything offered
  Avoid: treat as a null assignment or delete a variable
  Read it as: "reject all of the options"
- "none worked"
  They mean: nothing from a list succeeded
  Avoid: return NoneType or stop execution
  Read it as: "none of the attempts succeeded"
- "set it to none"
  They mean: make the field blank
  Avoid: assign a null that breaks later logic
  Read it as: "leave the field blank or empty"
- "none for me"
  They mean: I do not want any
  Avoid: pass None as a function argument
  Read it as: "I do not want any"

## Words it is confused with

- null: null is the database and JSON term for missing data
- zero: zero is a number, none is the absence of anything
- empty: empty means a container exists but holds nothing
- false: false is a Boolean value, not an absence
- nil: nil is Ruby and Go's version of null
- void: void means no return type in C-like languages

## Pages

- [none](https://10-none.com/): the same entry, written for people