<Type Name="PreferEmptyInstanceOverNullRule" FullName="Gendarme.Rules.BadPractice.PreferEmptyInstanceOverNullRule">
  <TypeSignature Language="C#" Value="public class PreferEmptyInstanceOverNullRule : Gendarme.Rules.BadPractice.ReturnNullRule, Gendarme.Framework.IMethodRule" />
  <TypeSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".class public auto ansi beforefieldinit PreferEmptyInstanceOverNullRule extends Gendarme.Rules.BadPractice.ReturnNullRule implements class Gendarme.Framework.IMethodRule, class Gendarme.Framework.IRule" />
  <AssemblyInfo>
    <AssemblyName>Gendarme.Rules.BadPractice</AssemblyName>
    <AssemblyVersion>2.11.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
  </AssemblyInfo>
  <Base>
    <BaseTypeName>Gendarme.Rules.BadPractice.ReturnNullRule</BaseTypeName>
  </Base>
  <Interfaces>
    <Interface>
      <InterfaceName>Gendarme.Framework.IMethodRule</InterfaceName>
    </Interface>
  </Interfaces>
  <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
      <AttributeName>Gendarme.Framework.Problem("This method returns null but returning an empty instance would make it easier to use.")</AttributeName>
    </Attribute>
    <Attribute>
      <AttributeName>Gendarme.Framework.Solution("Return an empty instance instead of null.")</AttributeName>
    </Attribute>
  </Attributes>
  <Docs>
    <summary>
            This rule checks that all methods and properties which return a string, an array,
            a collection, or an enumerable do not return <c>null</c>.
            It is usually better to return an empty instance, as this allows
            the caller to use the result without having to perform a null-check first.
            </summary>
    <remarks>This rule is available since Gendarme 2.4</remarks>
    <example>
            Bad example (string):
            <code>
            public string DisplayName {
            	get {
            		if (IsAnonymous) {
            			return null;
            		}
            		return name;
            	}
            }
            </code></example>
    <example>
            Good example (string):
            <code>
            public string DisplayName {
            	get {
            		if (IsAnonymous) {
            			return string.Empty;
            		}
            		return name;
            	}
            }
            </code></example>
    <example>
            Bad example (array):
            <code>
            public int [] GetOffsets ()
            {
            	if (!store.HasOffsets) {
            		return null;
            	}
            	store.LoadOffsets ();
            	return store.Offsets;
            }
            </code></example>
    <example>
            Good example (array):
            <code>
            static const int [] Empty = new int [0];
            public int [] GetOffsets ()
            {
            	if (!store.HasOffsets) {
            		return Empty;
            	}
            	store.LoadOffsets ();
            	return store.Offsets.ToArray ();
            }
            </code></example>
    <example>
            Bad example (enumerable):
            <code>
            public IEnumerable&lt;int&gt; GetOffsets ()
            {
            	if (!store.HasOffsets) {
            		return null;
            	}
            	store.LoadOffsets ();
            	return store.Offsets;
            }
            </code></example>
    <example>
            Good example (enumerable):
            <code>
            public IEnumerable&lt;int&gt; GetOffsets ()
            {
            	if (!store.HasOffsets) {
            		yield break;
            	}
            	store.LoadOffsets ();
            	foreach (int offset in store.Offsets) {
            		yield return offset;
            	}
            }
            </code></example>
  </Docs>
  <Members>
    <Member MemberName=".ctor">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public PreferEmptyInstanceOverNullRule ();" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig specialname rtspecialname instance void .ctor() cil managed" />
      <MemberType>Constructor</MemberType>
      <AssemblyInfo>
        <AssemblyVersion>2.11.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
      </AssemblyInfo>
      <Parameters />
      <Docs>
        <summary>To be added.</summary>
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
    <Member MemberName="CheckMethod">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="public override Gendarme.Framework.RuleResult CheckMethod (Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition method);" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method public hidebysig virtual instance valuetype Gendarme.Framework.RuleResult CheckMethod(class Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition method) cil managed" />
      <MemberType>Method</MemberType>
      <AssemblyInfo>
        <AssemblyVersion>2.11.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
      </AssemblyInfo>
      <ReturnValue>
        <ReturnType>Gendarme.Framework.RuleResult</ReturnType>
      </ReturnValue>
      <Parameters>
        <Parameter Name="method" Type="Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition" />
      </Parameters>
      <Docs>
        <param name="method">To be added.</param>
        <summary>To be added.</summary>
        <returns>To be added.</returns>
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
    <Member MemberName="Report">
      <MemberSignature Language="C#" Value="protected override void Report (Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition method, Mono.Cecil.Cil.Instruction ins);" />
      <MemberSignature Language="ILAsm" Value=".method familyhidebysig virtual instance void Report(class Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition method, class Mono.Cecil.Cil.Instruction ins) cil managed" />
      <MemberType>Method</MemberType>
      <AssemblyInfo>
        <AssemblyVersion>2.11.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
      </AssemblyInfo>
      <ReturnValue>
        <ReturnType>System.Void</ReturnType>
      </ReturnValue>
      <Parameters>
        <Parameter Name="method" Type="Mono.Cecil.MethodDefinition" />
        <Parameter Name="ins" Type="Mono.Cecil.Cil.Instruction" />
      </Parameters>
      <Docs>
        <param name="method">To be added.</param>
        <param name="ins">To be added.</param>
        <summary>To be added.</summary>
        <remarks>To be added.</remarks>
      </Docs>
    </Member>
  </Members>
</Type>
