.NET Framework provides String.IsNullOrEmpty() method which return true if the string is null or empty. It does not however take care of a string which only contains spaces. Often while persisting data we do not want to persist just empty strings. In past I have made this check before I let my data pass through. Today I thought of creating an extension method to do the same for me. Below is the code for the extension method which I have written in a StringExtensions class.

public static class StringExtensions

{

  public static bool IsNullOrEmptyWhenTrimmed(this string s)

  {

    return  !(s != null && s.Trim().Length > 0) ;

  }

}

Here is an example on how this extension method can be used.

string x = "  ";

if (x.IsNullOrEmptyWhenTrimmed())

  Console.WriteLine("String is empty or null");

else

  Console.WriteLine("String is NOT empty or null");

From now on I will be using this extension method whenever I have to check for empty strings. Short and sweet and useful