C# – Comparing Value Types to Null

c++null

I ran into this today and have no idea why the C# compiler isn't throwing an error.

Int32 x = 1;
if (x == null)
{
    Console.WriteLine("What the?");
}

I'm confused as to how x could ever possibly be null. Especially since this assignment definitely throws a compiler error:

Int32 x = null;

Is it possible that x could become null, did Microsoft just decide to not put this check into the compiler, or was it missed completely?

Update: After messing with the code to write this article, suddenly the compiler came up with a warning that the expression would never be true. Now I'm really lost. I put the object into a class and now the warning has gone away but left with the question, can a value type end up being null.

public class Test
{
    public DateTime ADate = DateTime.Now;

    public Test ()
    {
        Test test = new Test();
        if (test.ADate == null)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("What the?");
        }
    }
}

Best Answer

This is legal because operator overload resolution has a unique best operator to choose. There is an == operator that takes two nullable ints. The int local is convertible to a nullable int. The null literal is convertible to a nullable int. Therefore this is a legal usage of the == operator, and will always result in false.

Similarly, we also allow you to say "if (x == 12.6)", which will also always be false. The int local is convertible to a double, the literal is convertible to a double, and obviously they will never be equal.

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