C# 中的用例 Debug.Assert 是什么

Question

Recently, I came across the Debug.Assert in C#. However this has been into programming for years but this came across to me as new & quite puzzled me.

Lets say I have C# method where input field is mandatory like

public class User
{
   public class GetUser(string email) // email is required field
   {
       if(!string.IsNullOrEmptySpace(email)
       {
            
          //ToDo
        
       }
   }


   public class GetUserByEmail(string email) // email is required field
   {
         Debug.Assert(email != null); 
         //Assert method takes a boolean value and throws an exception if the value is false

        // ToDo
        
   }
}

What is the difference between these 2 approaches or use-case of the second approach?

Should I continue using Debug.Assert lib in.Net Core?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Debug.Assert as you see throws an exception when it receives a false value. We use this to validate developer assumptions. For example: lets say you just coded a function that requires the passed in parameter to be positive. So you want to make sure that no developer on your team passes a negative value. So you would use Debug.Assert there. However, this line gets completely removed if you build RELEASE so do NOT use it for business logic. Its just a helper to ensure that you have not forgotten an assumption you made while writing some logic.