Occasionally I like to spend some time looking at the .NET code just to see how things are implemented behind the scenes. I stumbled upon this gem while looking at the String.Equals method via Reflector.

C#

[ReliabilityContract(Consistency.WillNotCorruptState, Cer.MayFail)]
public override bool Equals(object obj)
{
    string strB = obj as string;
    if ((strB == null) && (this != null))
    {
        return false;
    }
    return EqualsHelper(this, strB);
}

IL

.method public hidebysig virtual instance bool Equals(object obj) cil managed
{
    .custom instance void System.Runtime.ConstrainedExecution.ReliabilityContractAttribute::.ctor(valuetype System.Runtime.ConstrainedExecution.Consistency, valuetype System.Runtime.ConstrainedExecution.Cer) = { int32(3) int32(1) }
    .maxstack 2
    .locals init (
        [0] string str)
    L_0000: ldarg.1 
    L_0001: isinst string
    L_0006: stloc.0 
    L_0007: ldloc.0 
    L_0008: brtrue.s L_000f
    L_000a: ldarg.0 
    L_000b: brfalse.s L_000f
    L_000d: ldc.i4.0 
    L_000e: ret 
    L_000f: ldarg.0 
    L_0010: ldloc.0 
    L_0011: call bool System.String::EqualsHelper(string, string)
    L_0016: ret 
}

What is the reasoning for checking this against null? I have to assume there is purpose otherwise this probably would have been caught and removed by now.

c# .net clr reflector
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