A universal polyfill library that provides modern ArgumentNullException.ThrowIf* and ArgumentException.ThrowIf* helper methods across all .NET runtimes (.NET Standard 2.0+, .NET Framework 4.6.2+, .NET 6.0+), enabling consistent argument validation patterns regardless of target framework version.
A comprehensive library providing backward-compatible argument validation helper methods (ThrowIf*) for .NET projects targeting multiple framework versions. This library enables modern argument validation patterns across legacy and current .NET runtimes, ensuring code consistency and maintainability.
Overview
Modern .NET versions (starting with .NET 6) introduced streamlined argument validation methods such as ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull and ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfEqual. However, projects targeting multiple frameworks or older .NET versions cannot utilize these convenient methods without conditional compilation or duplicated validation logic.
NetEvolve.Arguments bridges this gap by providing full polyfill implementations via extension methods on ArgumentNullException, ArgumentException, and ArgumentOutOfRangeException. These polyfills enable the use of modern .NET API patterns across all supported frameworks, allowing developers to write consistent, maintainable argument validation code regardless of the target framework.
Polyfill Architecture
The library provides polyfills through three main extension classes:
ArgumentNullExceptionPolyfills: Extends ArgumentNullException with ThrowIfNull methods
: Extends with and methods
ArgumentExceptionPolyfills
ArgumentException
ThrowIfNullOrEmpty
ThrowIfNullOrWhiteSpace
ArgumentOutOfRangeExceptionPolyfills: Extends ArgumentOutOfRangeException with range validation methods (ThrowIfZero, ThrowIfNegative, ThrowIfEqual, comparison methods, etc.)
These polyfills are conditionally compiled and only active when targeting frameworks that don't provide the native implementations, ensuring zero overhead on modern .NET versions.
Key Features
Multi-Framework Support: Compatible with .NET Standard 2.0, .NET 6.0-10.0, and .NET Framework 4.7.2-4.8.1 (on Windows)
Zero Runtime Overhead: Uses conditional compilation to delegate to native implementations where available
Drop-in Replacement: Identical API signatures to native .NET implementations
Type-Safe: Fully generic implementations with proper type constraints
Comprehensive Coverage: Includes null checks, range validations, and equality comparisons
Installation
Install the package via NuGet Package Manager:
dotnet add package NetEvolve.Arguments
Or via the Package Manager Console:
Install-Package NetEvolve.Arguments
Usage
Simply use the validation methods directly on the exception types, just as you would with native .NET 8+ implementations:
public void ProcessData(string data, int count)
{
ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrWhiteSpace(data);
ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfLessThan(count, 1);
// Your implementation
}
The polyfills are automatically available through extension methods when targeting older frameworks. No additional using directives are needed since the polyfills reside in the System namespace.
public void SetCount(int count, int maximum)
{
ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfGreaterThanOrEqual(count, maximum); // Count must be less than maximum
}
public void SetMinimum(int value, int threshold)
{
ArgumentOutOfRangeException.ThrowIfLessThanOrEqual(value, threshold); // Value must be greater than threshold
}
Framework Compatibility
Target Framework
Status
Notes
.NET Standard 2.0
✅ Supported
Full polyfill implementations
.NET Framework 4.7.2
✅ Supported
Windows only, full polyfill implementations
.NET Framework 4.8
✅ Supported
Windows only, full polyfill implementations
.NET Framework 4.8.1
✅ Supported
Windows only, full polyfill implementations
.NET 6.0
✅ Supported
Delegates to native implementations where available
.NET 7.0
✅ Supported
Delegates to native implementations where available
.NET 8.0
✅ Supported
Delegates to native implementations where available
.NET 9.0
✅ Supported
Full native delegation
.NET 10.0
✅ Supported
Full native delegation
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues, fork the repository, and create pull requests.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
