Optional parameters in QGIS Processing scripts & models

Remember the good old times when all parameters in Processing were mandatory?

Inputs and outputs are fixed, and optional parameters or outputs are not supported. [Graser & Olaya, 2015]

Since QGIS 2.14, this is no longer the case. Scripts, as well as models, can now have optional parameters. Here is how for QGIS 3:

When defining a Processing script parameter, the parameter’s constructor takes a boolean flag indicating whether the parameter should be optional. It’s false by default:

class qgis.core.QgsProcessingParameterNumber(
   name: str, description: str = '', 
   type: QgsProcessingParameterNumber.Type = QgsProcessingParameterNumber.Integer, 
   defaultValue: Any = None, 
   optional: bool = False,
   minValue: float = -DBL_MAX+1, maxValue: float = DBL_MAX)

(Source: http://python.qgis.org/api/core/Processing/QgsProcessingParameterNumber.html)

One standard tool that uses optional parameters is Add autoincremental field:

From Python, this algorithm can be called with or without the optional parameters:

When building a model, an optional input can be assigned to the optional parameter. To create an optional input, make sure to deactivate the mandatory checkbox at the bottom of the input parameter definition:

Then this optional input can be used in an algorithm. For example, here the numerical input optional_value is passed to the Start values at parameter:

You can get access to all available inputs by clicking the … button next to the Start values at field. In this example, I have access to values of the input layer as well as  the optional value:

Once this is set up, this is how it looks when the model is run:

You can see that the optional value is indeed Not set.

References

Graser, A., & Olaya, V. (2015). Processing: A Python Framework for the Seamless Integration of Geoprocessing Tools in QGIS. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2015, 4, 2219-2245. doi:10.3390/ijgi4042219.