value_or

void print_name( std::ostream& os, std::optional<std::string> const& name ) {
  std::cout "Name is: " << name.value_or("<name missing>") << '\n';
}

value_or either returns the value stored in the optional, or the argument if there is nothing store there.

This lets you take the maybe-null optional and give a default behavior when you actually need a value. By doing it this way, the "default behavior" decision can be pushed back to the point where it is best made and immediately needed, instead of generating some default value deep in the guts of some engine.