Objects.requireNonNullElse()

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Code Comparison

String name = input != null
    ? input
    : "default";
// easy to get the order wrong

String name = Objects
    .requireNonNullElse(
        input, "default"
    );

Why the modern way wins

📖

Clear intent

Method name describes exactly what it does.

🛡️

Null-safe default

The default value is also checked for null.

📏

Readable

Better than ternary for simple null-or-default logic.

Old Approach

Ternary Null Check

Modern Approach

requireNonNullElse()

JDK Support

Objects.requireNonNullElse()

Available

Widely available since JDK 9 (Sept 2017)

How it works

requireNonNullElse returns the first argument if non-null, otherwise the second. The default itself cannot be null — it throws NPE if both are null, catching bugs early.