using System;

 using System.Collections.Generic;

 using KGySoft.CoreLibraries;

 public class Example

 {

     public static void Main()

     {

         var dict = new Dictionary<string, object>

         {

             { "Int", 42 },

             { "String", "Blah" },

         };

         // old way:

         object obj;

         int intValue;

         if (dict.TryGetValue("Int", out obj) && obj is int)

             intValue = (int)obj;

         // C# 7.0 way:

         if (dict.TryGetValue("Int", out object o) && o is int i)

             intValue = i;

         // GetValueOrDefault ways:

         // TValue return type (which is object now)

         intValue = (int)dict.GetValueOrDefault("Int");

         // by defining a default value the actual type (and return type) can be specified

         intValue = dict.GetValueOrDefault("Int", 0);

​

         // an alternative syntax for string-object dictionaries (a default value still can be specified)

         intValue = dict.GetValueOrDefault<int>("Int");

​

         // to use different actual (and return) type for non string-object dictionaries use the GetActualValueOrDefault method:

         intValue = dict.GetActualValueOrDefault("Int", 0);

         // using nullable int actual type to get null if "Unknown" does not exist or is not an int

         int? intOrNull = dict.GetValueOrDefault<int?>("Unknown");

​

         // If obtaining a default value is an expensive operation you can use the delegate overloads.

         // The delegate is invoked only when the key was not found in the dictionary:

         intValue = (int)dict.GetValueOrDefault("Unknown", () =>

         {

             Console.WriteLine("Default value factory was invoked from GetValueOrDefault");

             return -1;

         });

         // Which is the same as:

         intValue = dict.GetActualValueOrDefault("Unknown", () =>

         {

             Console.WriteLine("Default value factory was invoked from GetActualValueOrDefault");

             return -1;

         });

         Console.WriteLine($"{nameof(intValue)}: {intValue}; {nameof(intOrNull)}: {intOrNull}");

     }

}