added a helper method for easily converting from a nullable type to a non nullable type with a non-lazy value, or lazy factory function

stdlib/ktSrc/Standard.kt

@@ -68,4 +68,24 @@ inline fun <T> Iterator<T>.toTreeSet() = to(TreeSet<T>())
 /*
 Run function f
 */
-inline fun <T> run(f: () -> T) = f()
+inline fun <T> run(f: () -> T) = f()
+
+/*
+Allow a default value to be provided when converting a nullable type to a non-nullable type
+*/
+inline fun <T> T?.getOrElse(defaultValue: T): T {
+    return if (this != null)
+        this
+    else
+        defaultValue
+}
+
+/*
+Allow a default value to be lazily provided from a function when converting a nullable type to a non-nullable type
+*/
+inline fun <T> T?.getOrElse(defaultValueFactory: ()-> T): T {
+    return if (this != null)
+        this
+    else
+        defaultValueFactory()
+}

testlib/test/GetOrElseTest.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package test.standard
+
+import std.*
+import stdhack.test.*
+import stdhack.test.assertEquals
+
+class GetOrElseTest() : TestSupport() {
+    val v1: String? = "hello"
+    val v2: String? = null
+
+    fun testDefaultValue() {
+        /**
+        TODO compiler error?
+
+        assertEquals("hello", v1.getOrElse("bar"))
+        assertEquals("bar", v2.getOrElse("bar"))
+
+        expect("hello") {
+            v1.getOrElse("bar")
+        }
+        expect("bar") {
+            v2.getOrElse("bar")
+        }
+        */
+    }
+
+    fun testLazyDefaultValue() {
+        var counter = 0
+
+        /**
+        TODO compiler error?
+        assertEquals("hello", v1.getOrElse{ counter++; "bar"}
+        assertEquals(counter, 0, "counter should not be incremented yet")
+
+        assertEquals("bar", v2.getOrElse{ counter++; "bar"}
+        assertEquals(counter, 1, "counter should be incremented in the default function")
+        */
+    }
+}