Code inspection: Conditional expression can be rewritten as null-coalescing

If you want to assign a value, pass an argument, or return from a method based on the nullability of an identifier, the clearest syntax you can use in these cases is the ?? (null-coalescing) operator.

Therefore, whenever JetBrains Rider encounters a conditional ?: (ternary) operator in the above-mentioned contexts, it suggests simplifying the expressions using the ?? operator.

Here is an example of a quick-fix suggested by this inspection:

            
void Foo(string input)
{
  Console.WriteLine($"The input is {(input != null ? input : "empty")}");
}

            
void Foo(string input)
{
  Console.WriteLine($"The input is {(input ?? "empty")}");
}

Speaking about performance of both operators, there is no observable difference. Actually, the ?? is even a tiny bit faster.

Last modified: 08 April 2024