Hi, with lo master debug build: OUString x; OUString test = ((x==NULL) || (x.getLenght()==0) ) ? OUString("a") : OUString("b"); will abort lo: template <typename IMPL_RTL_STRINGDATA> void newFromStr ( IMPL_RTL_STRINGDATA** ppThis, const STRCODE<IMPL_RTL_STRINGDATA>* pCharStr ) { #if OSL_DEBUG_LEVEL > 0 //TODO: For now, only abort in non-production debug builds; once all places that rely on the // undocumented newFromStr behavior of treating a null pCharStr like an empty string have been // found and fixed, drop support for that behavior and turn this into a general assert: if (pCharStr == nullptr) { std::abort(); } #endif newFromStr_WithLength(ppThis, pCharStr, pCharStr ? getLength(pCharStr) : 0); } how to check if OUString is NULL ? Regards Oliver