LowFile-scopeKotlin Plug & play

Use idiomatic Kotlin null-handling patterns

Use safe calls (?.), the Elvis operator (?:), let/run/also for scoped handling, and early returns for invalid input.

Why this matters

Idiomatic null handling reduces branching, clarifies intent, and prevents NullPointerException.

Side-by-side examples engineers can pattern-match during review.

Avoid

if (user != null) { process(user) } else { /* later... */ }

Prefer

val name = user?.name ?: return
user.email?.let { sendEmail(it) }

Bad

if (x != null) do(x) else {/*...*/}

Good

x?.let { do(it) } ?: return

From the same buckets as this rule.

Critical
Avoid equality operators in loop termination conditions
Check if loops use equality operators (== or !=) in termination conditions. These can lead to infinite loops if the condition is never met exactly. Instead, use relational operators like < or > for safer loop termination.
error-handlingreadability-refactor
Critical
Avoid Returning Null in Non-Async Task Methods
Returning null from a Task or Task<T> method causes a NullReferenceException if awaited. Use Task.CompletedTask or Task.FromResult<T>(null) instead.
error-handlingreadability-refactor+1
Critical
Avoid Using Boolean Expressions in `except` Statements
Detect `except` clauses that use `or` or `and` to catch multiple exceptions. This does not work as intended. Recommend using a tuple of exceptions instead.
error-handlingstack-python