Optional.orElse()

In Spring (and Java in general), Optional is a container object that may or may not contain a non-null value. The orElse() method is used to return the value if present, or a default value if the Optional is empty.

Here’s how Optional.orElse() works:

Syntax:

public T orElse(T other)

Parameters:

• other - the value to be returned if there's no value present in the Optional.

Returns:

• The contained value if present, otherwise the default value provided.

Example:

import java.util.Optional;

public class OptionalExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Optional<String> optionalWithValue = Optional.of("Hello, World!");
        Optional<String> emptyOptional = Optional.empty();

        // Using orElse() to provide a default value if the Optional is empty
        String value1 = optionalWithValue.orElse("Default Value");
        String value2 = emptyOptional.orElse("Default Value");

        System.out.println(value1);  // Outputs: Hello, World!
        System.out.println(value2);  // Outputs: Default Value
    }
}

Key Use Cases:

• Non-nullable Values: You can use orElse() when you want to return a default value if no value is present inside the Optional.
• Avoid Null Checks: It helps avoid null checks by providing a way to work with potentially empty values.