Is there any reason why something like `isNotNullOrEmpty` doesn't exist by default? I hate having t...

# getting-started

[Colton Idle]

Is there any reason why something like isNotNullOrEmpty doesn't exist by default?

I hate having to do !something.isNullOrEmpty

[tseisel]

isNotEmpty is what you're looking for. It also checks for null.

[Colton Idle]

Oh crap. Thanks @tseisel

[Lars Wenning]

In this case the function you was looking for is already defined. If it was not, you could have written an "Extension Function" like:

fun CharSequence?.isNotNullOrEmpty() : Boolean = !this.isNullOrEmpty();

this will make it possible to call the function as you wanted to:
fun main(){
var test : String? = null

test.isNullOrEmpty() //true

test.isNotNullOrEmpty() //false

}

Of course it is better to use to build in methods, but for future terms, if you experience similiar problems, this could be an option 🙂

[Colton Idle]

@Lars Wenning thanks

@tseisel question though. When I look at the docs... how would I know that? https://kotlinlang.org/api/latest/jvm/stdlib/kotlin.collections/is-not-empty.html

[nanodeath]

uh...you wouldn't, because isNotEmpty doesn't check null. we have isNotEmpty and also isNullOrEmpty, which, besides the name, you can tell works because it operates on a Collection<T>?. (docs)

so...you want !foo.isNullOrEmpty(). you could make an extension method isNotNullOrEmpty(), but IMO it's not necessary; tbh I'm not even sure why we have isEmpty() and isNotEmpty(). Maybe for concise method references in filters/sequences.

[Colton Idle]

@nanodeath I just hate the !

[nanodeath]

gonna have a rough time programming then

[Colton Idle]

😃

[tseisel]

The downside with the isNotNullOrEmpty extension function and .not() is that you won't benefit from smart casts from String? to String (unlike !isNullOrEmpty)

[nanodeath]

you could use contracts maybe.