


What are C# 8 nullable reference types and how to enable them?
Aug 01, 2025 am 12:26 AMC# 8 Reduces null reference exceptions by introducing nullable reference types. 1. Can be enabled globally in the project file, 2. Can be enabled using the #nullable directive in a single file, 3. Can be enabled via compiler parameters. After enabled, the reference type is not empty by default. It needs to be added explicitly to allow it to be empty. When handling warnings, the actual null value problem should be fixed first, and null value checks should be performed using the null-forgiving operator or pattern matching.
C# 8 introduced nullable reference types as a way to help developers catch potential null reference exceptions at compile time, rather than at runtime. In earlier versions of C# (and many other languages), reference types could always be null by default, which often led to NullReferenceException errors in real-world applications.

With nullable reference types enabled, reference types are treated as non-nullable by default , and you have to explicitly declare when a reference type can be null. This adds a layer of safety and clarity to your code.
How to enable nullable reference types
There are a few ways to enable nullable reference types depending on your project and preference.

1. Enable globally in the project file
The most common and recommended way is to enable nullable reference types for the entire project by editing the .csproj
file:
<PropertyGroup> <TargetFramework>net6.0</TargetFramework> <Nullable>enable</Nullable> </PropertyGroup>
This enables nullable reference types across all files in the project. It's simple and effective for new or existing projects.

2. Enable per file using a directive
If you want to control it on a per-file basis, you can use the #nullable
directive at the top of a .cs
file:
#nullable enable
This is useful during migration or if you want to gradually adopt the feature in legacy code.
3. Enable via compiler options
You can also enable the feature via compiler options when building from the command line:
csc /nullable Program.cs
This is less common unless you're compiling manually or in specific CI/CD scenarios.
Understanding the basics of nullable reference types
Once enabled, the compiler treats all reference types like string
, object
, or custom classes as non-nullable by default . If you want a reference type to allow nulls, you must explicitly add a ?
after the type:
string name = null; // Warning: Cannot assign null to non-nullable reference string? name = null; // OK: This string can be null
This distinction helps you write safer code by making nullability part of the type system.
Key behaviors:
- Assigning
null
to a non-nullable reference type generates a compiler warning. - You can suppress warnings using null-forgiving operator (
!
), likename!.Length
, but use this sparingly. - You can annotate APIs to help tools and analyzes understand null expectations better.
How to deal with warnings and common patterns
Enabling nullable reference types might cause a lot of warnings in existing codebases. Here's how to handle them effectively.
Fix actual issues
Start by reviewing the warnings and fixing actual null violations. For example:
string user = GetUser(); // Warning: May return null int length = user.Length; // Warning: Possible null reference
If GetUser()
can return null, update it to return string?
, and handle the null case properly:
string? user = GetUser(); if (user != null) { int length = user.Length; // Safe access }
Use null-forgiving operator when appropriate
Sometimes the compiler can't infer that a value isn't null, but you know it isn't. In those cases, you can use the null-forgiving operator:
string user = GetUser()!;
Use this only when you're certain the value won't be null, or you risk reintroducing runtime errors.
Use pattern matching and null checks
Take advantage of pattern matching and built-in null checks to write cleaner and safer code:
if (GetUser() is string { } user) { Console.WriteLine(user.Length); }
This combines null checking and assignment in a single line.
Summary
Enabling nullable reference types in C# 8 helps reduce null-related bugs by making non-null the default for reference types. You can enable it globally, per file, or via compiler flags. Once enabled, the compiler will warn you when you try to assign null to non-nullable references, and you can use ?
to indicate nullable ones.
Fixing warnings often means updating method return types, using null checks, or applying the null-forgiving operator where appropriate.
Basically that's it.
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