rust proposal fn get_null_ref() -> &'static T { Null } fn check_null_ref() { assert_eq!(get_null_ref::(), Null); assert_ne!(get_null_ref::(), Null); // this following panics: // println!("waow: {}", get_null_ref::().len()); // Actual, for real, null check let unknown_reference: &'static [u8] = get_null_ref(); let unknown_reference_ptr_addr = (&raw const unknown_reference).cast::(); if unsafe { *unknown_reference_ptr_addr } == 0 { println!("This is a null reference!"); } else { println!("This is *not* a null reference!"); } }