is there a way to make `ifEmpty` return statement ...

# serialization

[Hakon Grotte]

is there a way to make ifEmpty return statement work with Json.encodeToString? If the return type lambda of ifEmpty is different than original variable Kotlin resolves type to Any, causing kotlinx.serialization.SerializationException: Serializer for class 'Any' is not found.
I want to do

Json.encodeToString(
                myVariable.ifEmpty { ErrorResponse(404, "Path not found.") }
            )

myVariable is a List with a different data class than ErrorResponse, e.g. List<Person>. I have marked both data classes as Serializable.

[Loney Chou]

val PathNotFound: ErrorResponse = ErrorResponse(404, "Path not found.")

val json = if (myVariable.isNotEmpty()) {
    Json.encodeToString(myVariable)
} else {
    Json.encodeToString(PathNotFound)
}

[Hakon Grotte]

Yeah that's similar to my current approach. Was just curious if it could be done with ifEmpty {}