Question

If I have 5 String variables and between 0 and 5 of them are null or empty is there an easy/short way of returning the first one that is not null or empty? I am using .NET 3.5

Answer 1

var myString = new string[]{first, second, third, fouth, fifth}
      .FirstOrDefault(s => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(s)) ?? "";

//if myString == "", then none of the strings contained a value  

edit: removed Where(), placed predicate in FirstOrDefault(), thanks Yuriy