title: How to handle null objects in string concatenations in VB.NET?
body: <pre><code>Dim response As MyClass = obj.ProcessRequest(strRequest)
  Msgbox("This is the response message: " &amp; response.Message)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>If there is a problem in the <em>ProcessRequest</em> method and it returns <code>null</code>, then the next line will not work and a <code>NullReference</code> exception will be thrown.</p>
  
  <p>What is the easiest way to have <code>response.Message</code> evaluate to an empty string if <code>response</code> is <code>null</code>?</p>