Set null value to the array of enums C#

Question

I have a enum class "Figure" and board:

public enum Figure { X, O }

private Figure[,] board = new Figure[boardSize, boardSize];

When there are no values on the board, I want add null value to board. Example: board[0,0] = null - but it's wrong. How i can do that?

Please read [ask]. "it's wrong" is not a proper problem description. If you research the actual compiler error, _"Cannot convert null to enum because it is a value type"_, you'll find plenty of results. — CodeCaster, Sep 09 '17 at 08:34

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 09 '17 at 08:32

Enums are value types, so null is not a valid value for them.

Here's two solutions to this problem:

You can now use Figure.Empty instead of null.

Use a nullable type:

private Figure?[,] board = new Figure[boardSize, boardSize];

The little ? after Figure allows you to use null.

1 Answers1