I have `val articles: List<ArticlesItem?>? =...

# getting-started

[Sudhir Singh Khanger]

I have val articles: List<ArticlesItem?>? = null as part of my JSON response. I am trying to pull data off this list using articles[position] but Android Studio complains that Only safe (?.) or non-null asserted (!!.) calls are allowed on a nullable receiver of type List<ArticlesItem?>?. Why can I do newsDataSet!![position] but not newsDataSet?[position]?

val articlesItem: ArticlesItem? = newsDataSet[position]
full code https://github.com/sudhirkhanger/Samachar/blob/911f934252409e9a726e30a4865518e738042c93/app/src/main/java/com/sudhirkhanger/newsapp/ui/list/NewsListAdapter.kt#L45

[Shawn]

I think it was just a weird part of the grammar that probably wasn’t trivial to address. you do have the option to use newsDataSet?.get(position) though

[Sudhir Singh Khanger]

Thanks. That did work.

Another question that I have is If I am in a situation where I am unsure of what I might end up with like in the case of val articles at the top do I have to just safe calls everywhere possible to avoid NPE.

[Pavlo Liapota]

Instead of safe call you can also write:

if (articles != null) {
    articles[position]
}

or

articles ?: return
articles[position]

or

articles?.let {
    it[position]
}

You can check that articles is not null in any way you want 🙂