Java check if one of two variables is null and return the not null variable

Question

What is the best way to write something like this in shorthand using operators, if possible?

    if (l1 == null && l2 == null){
        return null;
    }
    else if (l1 == null){
        return l2;
    }
    else if (l2 == null){
        return l1;
    }

Answer 1

For me, it's this:

return l1 == null ? l2 : l1;

If l1 & l2 are null, it will return null. Else, if at least one of them it not null, it will return the one that is defined.

Answer 2

For two variables it's probably overkill but a functional way of doing so can be:

return Optional(l1)
  .orElse(l2)
  .getOrElse(null);

Self-explanatory I believe.