I've seen a lot of discussion over the past few days on returning nulls vs exceptions. Since I have given related talks, most recently at the PHP Benelux 2020 conference, I'd like to put my two cents in.

Simple rule I follow: avoid nulls in public APIs.

Clarification below. 🧵 The public API is not only about the interface/class level, but also macro-level: components, architecture layer. Therefore the domain layer also has its own API through which the application layer interacts with it.

1/. Very unpopular opinion: developers (IT workers) market in Serbia is becoming increasingly fragmented with people motivated solely by high salaries because of poverty in any other profession. 2/. It is because Information Technology is the only profession in Serbia from which one can live a comfortable and in most cases luxurious life from legally earned money.

It’s not a secret that in some cases developers earn over 6x more than the average citizen.