VB setting a string to nothing [duplicate]

Question

The code below returns TRUE when I expected it to return FALSE.

Why does it return TRUE? I Expect nothing to set the value of the string to null, not empty (According to msdn)

CodeingGround sample

Module VBModule

    Sub Main()
        dim x as String
        x = nothing
        console.writeline(x = string.Empty)
    End Sub

End Module

Nothing (Visual Basic)

Represents the default value of any data type. For reference types, the default value is the null reference.

***EDIT**** Nothing = String.Empty (Why are these equal?)

Nothing in VB.net is the default value for a type. The language spec says in section 2.4.7:

Nothing is a special literal; it does not have a type and is convertible to all types in the type system, including type parameters. When converted to a particular type, it is the equivalent of the default value of that type.

So, when you test against String.Empty, Nothing is converted to a string, which has a length 0. The Is operator should be used for testing against Nothing, and String.Empty.Equals(Nothing) will also return false.

Per then comment,

when converted to a particular type, it is the equivalent of the default value of that type.

The default value for a string is null. I dont understand why that answer was accepted.

Answer 1

Difference between C# and VB.Net string comparison

The above post explains the answer clearly, credit goes to Tim Schmelter in the comment section for finding the above post

Per Tim Schmeleters comments

it is called from the vb compiler as the documentation states in String.Equality Operator