null-coalescing

Null Coalescing Operator Example

The null coalescing operator (??) provides a default value when the left operand is null or empty.

Syntax

value ?? defaultValue

Returns value if it's not null/empty, otherwise returns defaultValue.

Use Cases

• Default values: Provide fallbacks for missing configuration
• Optional parameters: Handle optional function arguments
• User input: Default values when user doesn't provide input
• API responses: Handle missing fields gracefully

Chaining

You can chain multiple ?? operators:

first ?? second ?? third ?? "final fallback"

Running the Example

oxide main.ox

Output

=== Null Coalescing Operator (??) ===

Empty name ?? 'Anonymous' = Anonymous
'John' ?? 'Anonymous' = John

=== Chaining ?? Operators ===
'' ?? '' ?? 'Fallback' = Fallback