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void
at least in C, C++, and many similar languages just means the function doesn't return a value, but provides no indication on whether or not the function actually returns. A bottom type is a type that cannot be instantiated. A function that returns a bottom type cannot return without providing an instance of the bottom type, but since bottom cannot be instantiated, it must diverge, i.e. loop forever, throw an exception, power off the machine, etc.void
signifies that a function does return, but doesn't return a useful value.never
signifies that a function doesn't return. The equivalent tovoid
in a more expressive type system would be a unit type, i.e. a type which has only one instance and no useful operations.Void
. A fairly standard name is "empty type", which doesn't imply subtyping like "bottom type". C (and friends)'svoid
can be seen as having a single value (therefore no information; if you know something isvoid
you know its value), that you just can't name. The identity of that single value is not important. In Java/Scala, theNull
type (which is unnamed in Java) contains only the valuenull
, but it's different from Scala'sUnit
, which has a different singleton value. "Jump type" seems... too specific? Maybe "unreachable".