C#•3y ago

When to use Null Forgiving (!) vs Non-Nullable casts

int? n = null;
string input;

if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }

int[] arr = new int[(int)n];

int? n = null;
string input;

if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }

int[] arr = new int[(int)n];

In this example, n needs to be cast from int? to int My question is why null forgiving (!) syntax does not seem to work (new int[n!];] and where null forgiving syntax would actually be applicable.

60 Replies

Angius•3y ago

That's a very weird thing you're doing there tbh Parsing once, discarding the result of the parse, then parsing again..?

surwrenOP•3y ago

it's supposed to be

while(input==null){
if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }
}

while(input==null){
if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }
}

I omitted the while loop because the question is about null forgiving vs non-nullable casting didn't wanna detract from the main query

Angius•3y ago

You're still discarding the result of parsing for some reason

surwrenOP•3y ago

I'm discarding the parse in the if statement, I'm only assigning if the if statement is fulfilled what's wrong with discarding if it's just a conditional checker?

Angius•3y ago

Because then you parse it anyway

if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
{
    n = int.Parse(input);
}

if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
{
    n = int.Parse(input);
}

can just be

if (int.TryParse(input, out n))
{
    
}

if (int.TryParse(input, out n))
{
    
}

surwrenOP•3y ago

This is the actual code

        if (int.Parse(input) < 0)
        {
            Console.Write("Number must be a positive integer. ");
            continue;
        }
        else if (!int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            throw new FormatException();

        }
        else if (int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }

        if (int.Parse(input) < 0)
        {
            Console.Write("Number must be a positive integer. ");
            continue;
        }
        else if (!int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            throw new FormatException();

        }
        else if (int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            n = int.Parse(input);
        }

I will correct it to

        if (int.Parse(input) < 0)
        {
            Console.Write("Number must be a positive integer. ");
            continue;
        }
        else if (!int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            throw new FormatException();

        }
        else if (int.TryParse(input, out n))
        {        }

        if (int.Parse(input) < 0)
        {
            Console.Write("Number must be a positive integer. ");
            continue;
        }
        else if (!int.TryParse(input, out _))
        {
            throw new FormatException();

        }
        else if (int.TryParse(input, out n))
        {        }

Angius•3y ago

You can even, instead of doing

int? n = null;
if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
{
    n = int.Parse(input);
}
var arr = new int[n];

int? n = null;
if (int.TryParse(input,out _))
{
    n = int.Parse(input);
}
var arr = new int[n];

if (int.TryParse(input, out var n))
{
    var arr = new int[n];
}

if (int.TryParse(input, out var n))
{
    var arr = new int[n];
}

and guarantee that n will never be null Also, you're using int.TryParse(), something made explicitly for the purpose of avoiding throwing format exceptions... to throw a format exception

Unknown User•3y ago

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surwrenOP•3y ago

oh so that's what's triggering it smh so parse is throwing the exception

Unknown User•3y ago

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surwrenOP•3y ago

that's good actually it severely shortens my code

Angius•3y ago

Your best bet is to parse once, with .TryParse()

surwrenOP•3y ago

and then just catch the exceptions after i will do this thank you

Angius•3y ago

if (int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    if (num < 0)
    {
        // ...
    }
    if (num % 2 == 0)
    {
        // ...
    }

    var arr = new int[num];
    // etc
}

if (int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    if (num < 0)
    {
        // ...
    }
    if (num % 2 == 0)
    {
        // ...
    }

    var arr = new int[num];
    // etc
}

No Why catch exceptions int.TryParse() lets you avoid exceptions Don't make your life harder for no reason

surwrenOP•3y ago

I'm trying to intentionally throw and catch exceptions it's a learning type of thing I'm just gonna throw them more efficiently

Angius•3y ago

Rethrowing an exception isn't any more efficient than letting it bubble up lol

cap5lut•3y ago

exceptions are never efficient

surwrenOP•3y ago

yea

Angius•3y ago

But sure As long as you never actually do it this way in the wild

Unknown User•3y ago

Message Not Public

Angius•3y ago

Kinda like learning to use a spoon by peeling an apple with it But whatever works for you

MODiX•3y ago

Sorry @surwren your message contained blocked content and has been removed!

surwrenOP•3y ago

I'm ret(@)rded ok i need to learn by getting my hands dirty this is my own way of learning exception propagation but you guys have been a great help, thank you why doesn't this board let me insult dogry

cap5lut•3y ago

because it just detects the insult, not whom it refers to

surwrenOP•3y ago

it's not letting me do it

surwrenOP•3y ago

surwrenOP•3y ago

cap5lut•3y ago

because its a syntax error its out <type> <variable name> u r missing the type

surwrenOP•3y ago

cap5lut•3y ago

or is n predefined?

surwrenOP•3y ago

int? n = null;

surwrenOP•3y ago

cap5lut•3y ago

then u cant use n as out variable because int? and int are different types

surwrenOP•3y ago

yea that's why this thread was asking specifically about nullable casts vs null forgiving so like

surwrenOP•3y ago

I have to do this then

surwrenOP•3y ago

like i was doing Hmm

Angius•3y ago

Why do you need n in the outer scope

surwrenOP•3y ago

while (n == null) {}

while (n == null) {}

MODiX•3y ago

Angius#1586

if (int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    if (num < 0)
    {
        // ...
    }
    if (num % 2 == 0)
    {
        // ...
    }

    var arr = new int[num];
    // etc
}

if (int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    if (num < 0)
    {
        // ...
    }
    if (num % 2 == 0)
    {
        // ...
    }

    var arr = new int[num];
    // etc
}

Quoted by

<@!85903769203642368> from #When to use Null Forgiving (!) vs Non-Nullable casts (click here)

React with ❌ to remove this embed.

Angius•3y ago

This guarentees n will never be null

cap5lut•3y ago

it would be more (but still not really) correct to do something like

else if (int.TryParse(input, out var tmp))
{
  n = tmp;
}

else if (int.TryParse(input, out var tmp))
{
  n = tmp;
}

Angius•3y ago

Check for the result of int.TryParse() instead

cap5lut•3y ago

instead of out var tmp u could also use ~~out var tmp~~ out int tmp as var will be inferred to int

surwrenOP•3y ago

**out var tmp** u could also use **out var tmp**

**out var tmp** u could also use **out var tmp**

huh

Angius•3y ago

Prolly meant one of them to be out int tmp

cap5lut•3y ago

uups, yes *fixing* oh its the other way around from my message 😂

Angius•3y ago

I believe you can do

while (!int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    Console.WriteLine("Not a valid integer!");
}

var arr = new int[num]; // num is a valid integer here

while (!int.TryParse(input, out var num))
{
    Console.WriteLine("Not a valid integer!");
}

var arr = new int[num]; // num is a valid integer here

Since out kinda "promotes" the variable to the outer scope

cap5lut•3y ago

~~isnt num out of scope after the while loop?~~

surwrenOP•3y ago

yeah i thought this would be it too

cap5lut•3y ago

in c#10 it still is

Angius•3y ago

Ah, huh, errors out My bad

surwrenOP•3y ago

again, I still don't know what the proper context for usage of null-forgiving vs non-nullable cast is

Angius•3y ago

Null-forgiving: use it rarely if ever It's a workaround A hack around the sorry state of nullability in C# It's best to simply ensure the value isn't null And either do something if it is, or provide a default

cap5lut•3y ago

int num;
while (!int.TryParse(input, out num))
{
    Console.WriteLine("Not a valid integer!");
}

var arr = new int[num];

int num;
while (!int.TryParse(input, out num))
{
    Console.WriteLine("Not a valid integer!");
}

var arr = new int[num];

should do it

Angius•3y ago

Ye For example

int? num = null;

var arr = new int[num ?? 0];

int? num = null;

var arr = new int[num ?? 0];

In case num is null, replace it with 0 99% of the time, anything is better than null-forgiving

surwrenOP•3y ago

[num ?? 0]

[num ?? 0]

what syntax is this ternary?

cap5lut•3y ago

x ?? y is short hand for x != null ? x : y so sorta yes

Angius•3y ago

Null-coalescing

surwrenOP•3y ago

I'm just gonna stick to casting int?n to (int) n for now Are there other commonly used examples similar to int.TryParse that also help you to avoid exceptions?

Unknown User•3y ago

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When to use Null Forgiving (!) vs Non-Nullable casts