C# Language Tutorial => default

Example

For classes, interfaces, delegate, array, nullable (such as int?) and pointer types, default(TheType) returns null:

class MyClass {}
Debug.Assert(default(MyClass) == null);
Debug.Assert(default(string) == null);

For structs and enums, default(TheType) returns the same as new TheType():

struct Coordinates
{
    public int X { get; set; }
    public int Y { get; set; }
}

struct MyStruct
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public Coordinates Location { get; set; }
    public Coordinates? SecondLocation { get; set; }
    public TimeSpan Duration { get; set; }
}

var defaultStruct = default(MyStruct);
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Equals(new MyStruct()));
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Location.Equals(new Coordinates()));
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Location.X == 0);
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Location.Y == 0);
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.SecondLocation == null);
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Name == null);
Debug.Assert(defaultStruct.Duration == TimeSpan.Zero);

default(T) can be particularly useful when T is a generic parameter for which no constraint is present to decide whether T is a reference type or a value type, for example:

public T GetResourceOrDefault<T>(string resourceName)
{
   if (ResourceExists(resourceName))
   {
      return (T)GetResource(resourceName);
   }
   else
   {
      return default(T);
   }
}

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