Is there a way to implement and make use of a "NOT null coalescing" operator?
.net, c#, null-coalescing, null-coalescing-operator
Solution
Mads Torgersen has publicly said that a null-propagating operator is under consideration for the next version of C# (but also emphasised that this doesn't mean it will be there). This would allow code like:
var value = someValue?.Method()?.AnotherMethod();
where the `?.` returns `null` if the operand (on the left) is `null`, else will evaluate the right hand side. I suspect that would get you a lot of the way here, especially if combined with (say) extension methods; for example:
DateTime? dtStartDate = strStartDate?.MyParse();
where:
static DateTime MyParse(this string value) {
return DateTime.ParseExact(value, "dd.MM.yyyy",
System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture
);
However! You could do the same thing right now just using extension methods:
DateTime? dtStartDate = strStartDate.MyParse();
static DateTime? MyParse(this string value) {
if(value == null) return null;
return DateTime.ParseExact(value, "dd.MM.yyyy",
System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture
);
Problem
Is there a not null coalescing operator in `C#` which in case could be used such as: ``` public void Foo(string arg1) { Bar b = arg1 !?? Bar.Parse(arg1); } ``` The following case made me think of it: ``` public void SomeMethod(string strStartDate) { DateTime? dtStartDate = strStartDate !?? DateTime.ParseExact(strStartDate, "dd.MM.yyyy", System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture); } ``` I might not have `strStartDate` information, which in case will be `null` but if i do; i'm always certain that it will be in expected format. So instead of initializing `dtStartDate = null` and trying to `parse` and set the value within `try catch` block. It seems to be more useful. I suppose the answer is no (and there is no such operator `!??` or anything else) I wonder if there's a way to implement this logic, would it be worth and what would be the cases that it comes useful.