attac-t Skill: Craft Null Object
"Instead of checking for null everywhere, return an object that behaves safely."
The Standard
- Null Object behaves like real object: Same interface, safe defaults.
withDefault()for relationships: Laravel's built-in null object pattern.- Custom Null classes for complex behavior: When defaults need methods.
The Anti-Patterns
| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do | Why |
|---|---|---|
$user ? $user->name : 'Guest' |
$user->name with null object |
Eliminate null checks |
| Null checks in every template | withDefault() on relationship |
Single source of truth |
optional() for everything |
Null object for repeated access | optional() is for one-offs |
Real-World Examples
See examples.md.