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Showed the difference between map and and_then with an example.
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src/doc/book/error-handling.md

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@@ -351,11 +351,21 @@ fn file_name(file_path: &str) -> Option<&str> {
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```
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You might think that we could use the `map` combinator to reduce the case
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analysis, but its type doesn't quite fit. Namely, `map` takes a function that
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does something only with the inner value. The result of that function is then
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*always* [rewrapped with `Some`](#code-option-map). Instead, we need something
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like `map`, but which allows the caller to return another `Option`. Its generic
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implementation is even simpler than `map`:
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analysis, but its type doesn't quite fit...
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```rust
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fn file_path_ext(file_path: &str) -> Option<&str> {
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file_name(file_path).map(|x| extension(x)) //Compilation error
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}
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```
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The `map` function here wraps the value returned by the `extension` function inside an `Option<_>` and since the `extension` function itself returns an `Option<&str>` the expression `file_name(file_path).map(|x| extension(x))` actually returns an `Option<Option<&str>>`.
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But since `file_path_ext` just returns `Option<&str>` (and not `Option<Option<&str>>`) we get a compilation error.
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The result of the function taken by map as input is *always* [rewrapped with `Some`](#code-option-map). Instead, we need something like `map`, but which allows the caller to return a `Option<_>` directly without wrapping it in another `Option<_>`.
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Its generic implementation is even simpler than `map`:
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```rust
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fn and_then<F, T, A>(option: Option<T>, f: F) -> Option<A>
@@ -377,6 +387,8 @@ fn file_path_ext(file_path: &str) -> Option<&str> {
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}
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```
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Side note: Since `and_then` essentially works like `map` but returns an `Option<_>` instead of an `Option<Option<_>>` it is known as `flatmap` in some other languages.
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The `Option` type has many other combinators [defined in the standard
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library][5]. It is a good idea to skim this list and familiarize
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yourself with what's available—they can often reduce case analysis

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