[LogicHound]

There is a huge amount of syntactic sugar that has been added over the years that doesn't do whole lot IMO. It is often imported from other languages (usually JavaScript and/or Python).

e.g. Just a very simple example to illustrate the point

    if (customer != null)
    {
        customer.Order = GetCurrentOrder();
    }

vs

    if (customer is not null)
    {
        customer.Order = GetCurrentOrder();
    }

Is there really any benefit in adding "is/is not"? I would argue no. So I categorise that as being of "dubious benefit" and there are many similar small features, keywords etc. that get added each release where they might save a few lines of code somewhere but I've never seem them used that often.

[mrsmrtss]

In your sample there really is no benefit to using the "is" operator over just checking for null (assuming you haven't overloaded the "!=" operator). However, the "is" operator is a lot more powerful, you can match an expression against a pattern with it. Would you say that these samples show no benefit to using the "is" operator?

if (obj is string s) { ... }

if (date is { Month: 10, Day: <=7, DayOfWeek: DayOfWeek.Friday }) { ... }

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-ref... https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-ref...

[skeezyjefferson]

> In your sample there really is no benefit to using the "is" operator over just checking for null

Microsoft give the same example though. I understand what hes saying, theres conceptual overlap between is and ==. Many ways to do the same thing.

Why couldnt it just be...

if (obj == string s) { ... }

[LogicHound]

The issue is that I dislike the overall mentality of just adding a bunch of language features. Things just seem to be dumped in each release and I think to myself "When I am going to use that?".

> Would you say that these samples show no benefit to using the "is" operator?

I didn't say no benefit. I said dubious benefit.

I didn't really want to get into discussing specific operators, but lets just use your date example:

   if (date is { Month: 10, Day: <=7, DayOfWeek: DayOfWeek.Friday }) { ... }

This following would do the same thing before the is operator:

    static bool IsFirstFridayOfOctober(DateTime date)
    {
        return date.Month == 10
            && date.Day <= 7
            && date.DayOfWeek == DayOfWeek.Friday;
    }

And then:

    if IsFirstFridayOfOctober(date) {
       ...
    }

I understand it is more verbose. But do we really need a new operator for this? I was getting on fine without it.

Each release there seems to be more of these language features and half the time I have a hard time remembering that they even exist.

Each time I meet with other .NET developers either virtually or in Person they all seem to be salivating over this stuff and I feel like I've walked in on some sort of cult meeting.

[1718627440]

In Python '==' and 'is' are not the same thing. '==' checks for equality, 'is' for identity.

[LogicHound]

I am aware. I probably should have said "inspired".