Making decisions easier for null values with the ?? (null coalescing) operator

When catering for null values, I use the ternary operator ?, which is used to do an inline IF statement. For example:

public void CheckText(string text)

{

    if(String.IsNullOrEmpty(text))

    {

        throw new ArgumentException("Parameter is " + (text==null ? "null." : "empty."));

    }

    //Other code here

}

This would allow you to cater for 2 exception cases:

1. When the parameter is null, the exception message states "Parameter is null.";
2. When the parameter is "", the exception message states "Parameter is empty.";

Since testing for null is a fairly common operation, and also catering for the possibility of a null, there is an operator called the null coalescing operator. The operator is used to check a value for null, and return an alternative value if the result is null

Before:

string text = ReadFromDB();

if(text == null)

    Console.WriteLine("(null)");

else

    Console.WriteLine(text);

After:

string text = ReadFromDB();

Console.WriteLine( text ?? "(null)" );

So, the way it works is it checks the first variable. If it is not null it returns the first variable, otherwise it returns the second. It is a shorthand method of this made up method:

public static object GetObject(object o, object _default)

{

     if( o == null )

          return _default;

     else

        return o;

    //Or return (o==null?_default:o);

}

The main use of this would be for outputting data to a table, or to a stream - but it looks like something I will definitely use in the future, instead of my long winded ternary operators ?