title: Is there a shorthand way to check for a null to avoid a null reference exception?
body: <p>I have this code that first checks to see if an object is null like this: <code>this.ButtonLabel.Text != null</code></p>
  
  <pre><code>    private async void ChangeTheColours(Object sender, EventArgs e)
      {
          try
          {
              if (this.ButtonLabel.Text != null &amp;&amp; 
                 (string)this.ButtonLabel.Text.Substring(0, 1) != " ")
              {
                  ConfigureColors((Button)sender, "C");
                  await Task.Delay(200);
                  ConfigureColors((Button)sender, State);
              }
          }
          catch (Exception ex)
          {
              Crashes.TrackError(ex,
                  new Dictionary&lt;string, string&gt; {
                          {"ChangeTheColours", "Exception"},
                          {"Device Model", DeviceInfo.Model },
                  });
          }
      }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is there a way I can clean up this checking of null and just return from the function later than using the if block and doing the initial <code>this.ButtonLabel.Text</code> check ?</p>