SQL Data Reader - handling Null column values

Question

I\'m using a SQLdatareader to build POCOs from a database. The code works except when it encounters a null value in the database. For example, if the FirstName column in the

Answer 1

Here is helper class which others can use if they need based on @marc_s answer:

public static class SQLDataReaderExtensions
    {
        public static int SafeGetInt(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName)
        {
            int fieldIndex = dataReader.GetOrdinal(fieldName);
            return dataReader.IsDBNull(fieldIndex) ? 0 : dataReader.GetInt32(fieldIndex);
        }

        public static int? SafeGetNullableInt(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName)
        {
            int fieldIndex = dataReader.GetOrdinal(fieldName);
            return dataReader.GetValue(fieldIndex) as int?;
        }

        public static string SafeGetString(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName)
        {
            int fieldIndex = dataReader.GetOrdinal(fieldName);
            return dataReader.IsDBNull(fieldIndex) ? string.Empty : dataReader.GetString(fieldIndex);
        }

        public static DateTime? SafeGetNullableDateTime(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName)
        {
            int fieldIndex = dataReader.GetOrdinal(fieldName);
            return dataReader.GetValue(fieldIndex) as DateTime?;
        }

        public static bool SafeGetBoolean(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName)
        {
            return SafeGetBoolean(dataReader, fieldName, false);
        }

        public static bool SafeGetBoolean(this SqlDataReader dataReader, string fieldName, bool defaultValue)
        {
            int fieldIndex = dataReader.GetOrdinal(fieldName);
            return dataReader.IsDBNull(fieldIndex) ? defaultValue : dataReader.GetBoolean(fieldIndex);
        }
    }