using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

public class Program

{

    public static void Main()

    {

        var d = new Dictionary<string, object>( );

        d["a"] = 55l;

        d.TryGetValue("b", out object nullObject);

        Console.WriteLine((long)nullObject);        

​

        // Here is the existing utility func I plan to use

        ExtractValue(d, "b", out long defaultLong);

        Console.WriteLine(defaultLong);

    }

    protected static bool ExtractValue<T>(Dictionary<string, object> dict, string dimName, out T result) 

        where T : struct

        {

            result = default(T);

            if (!ExtractValue(dict, dimName, out T? preResult) || !preResult.HasValue)

                return false;

​

            result = preResult.Value;

            return true;

        }

​

    protected static bool ExtractValue<T>(Dictionary<string, object> dict, string dimName, out T? result) 

        where T : struct

        {

            result = null;

            if (dict == null || !dict.TryGetValue(dimName, out object val))

                return false;

​

            if (val != null)

            {

                if (val is T)

                    result = (T)val;

                else

                    return false;

            }

​

            return true;

        }

​

}