type_check_with_null

Tests for non-null should be done with '!= null'.

Tests for null should be done with '== null'.

The analyzer produces this diagnostic when there's a type check (using the as operator) where the type is Null. There's only one value whose type is Null, so the code is both more readable and more performant when it tests for null explicitly.

The following code produces this diagnostic because the code is testing to see whether the value of s is null by using a type check:

void f(String? s) {
  if (s is Null) {
    return;
  }
  print(s);
}

The following code produces this diagnostic because the code is testing to see whether the value of s is something other than null by using a type check:

void f(String? s) {
  if (s is! Null) {
    print(s);
  }
}

Replace the type check with the equivalent comparison with null:

void f(String? s) {
  if (s == null) {
    return;
  }
  print(s);
}

Unless stated otherwise, the documentation on this site reflects Dart 3.8.0. Page last updated on 2025-05-08. View source or report an issue.