Java 8 Optional: choose between two possibly null values

Question

I have to choose between two String variables - the first that has non null value. If they are both null - then I want to exit the method. This can be done in the following piece of code:

String value1 = <get from somewhere>
String value2 = <get from somewhere else>
String target = null;
if (value1 != null) target = value1;
else if (value2 != null) target = value2;
if (target == null) return null;

It can also be done in short form:

String target = value1 != null ? value1 : value2 != null ? value2 : null;
if (target == null) return null;

I am struggling with how to do this in fluent form with Optional
Note: I can only use Java 8 syntax (so no Optional.or())

Answer 1

String target = Optional.ofNullable(value1).orElse(value2)

If value1 == null, then return value2 - which either has a value or is null. There is no need to explicitly handle the case of value2 == null by mapping it to null.

Answer 2

If you have just two options, you could do it with:

target = Optional.ofNullable(value1)
            .orElseGet(() -> Optional.ofNullable(value2).orElse(null));

Even if this can be made to work for more that two variables.

With java-9, this could be made a bit more readable:

target = Optional.ofNullable(value1)
            .or(() -> Optional.ofNullable(value2))
            .orElse(null);

The other answer has a very good point, indeed; thus this can be further simplified to not use Optionals, at all, still a single line:

 target = value1 != null ? value1 : value2;