Is ToString() here good, bad, or simply redundant?

Question

Both of these are accepted by the compiler:

ssMinnow = listStrLineElements[VESSEL_TO_AVOID].ToString();
ssMinnow = listStrLineElements[VESSEL_TO_AVOID];

Is one way preferable to the other? ToString() or not ToString(), that is the question.

Answer 1

It is not only redundant, but also is dangerous: if listStrLineElements[VESSEL_TO_AVOID] happens to be null, your application is going to throw an exception if you use ToString(); without ToString(), it would simply assign null to ssMinnow.

Answer 2

If listStrLineElements[VESSEL_TO_AVOID] returns a string, then yes, it is redundant. if it returns some other type, then no, it is not redundant.

Answer 3

in General your don't need to invoke the ToString() method is the object type returned is already a String.

in your example we cannot tell that as ssMinnow does not show the declaration type :I assume you have used var keyword which will work with both of them or listStrLineElements[VESSEL_TO_AVOID] returns already a String

Answer 4

Simply redundant. I prefer to leave off ToString() where its not needed but its a judgement call.