dotnet / dotnet/aspnetcore

model binding for nullable parameter creates empty collection instead of null

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area-mvc
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Description

### Is there an existing issue for this?

- [x] I have searched the existing issues

### Describe the bug

If you have a nullable collection param on an action:

```CS
[HttpGet]
public async Task Export(List? pages) {
}
```

and you get it using a URL where that param is not included at all, I would expect it to be null, but instead it's an empty collection

### Expected Behavior

I would expect it to be null

### Steps To Reproduce

```CS
[HttpGet]
public async Task Export(List? pages) {
Debug.WriteLine(pages == null);
}
```

### Exceptions (if any)

_No response_

### .NET Version

8.0.11

### Anything else?

ASP.NET Core 8.0.11
VS 17.12.3

.NET SDK:
Version: 9.0.101
Commit: eedb237549
Workload version: 9.0.100-manifests.4a280210
MSBuild version: 17.12.12+1cce77968

Runtime Environment:
OS Name: Windows
OS Version: 10.0.19045
OS Platform: Windows
RID: win-x64
Base Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\9.0.101\

.NET workloads installed:
[android]
Installation Source: VS 17.12.35527.113, VS 17.13.35507.96
Manifest Version: 35.0.7/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.android\35.0.7\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[maccatalyst]
Installation Source: VS 17.12.35527.113, VS 17.13.35507.96
Manifest Version: 18.1.9163/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.maccatalyst\18.1.9163\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[ios]
Installation Source: VS 17.12.35527.113, VS 17.13.35507.96
Manifest Version: 18.1.9163/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.ios\18.1.9163\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[maui-windows]
Installation Source: VS 17.12.35527.113, VS 17.13.35507.96
Manifest Version: 9.0.0/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.maui\9.0.0\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[aspire]
Installation Source: VS 17.12.35527.113
Manifest Version: 8.2.2/8.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\8.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.aspire\8.2.2\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

Configured to use loose manifests when installing new manifests.

Host:
Version: 9.0.0
Architecture: x64
Commit: 9d5a6a9aa4

.NET SDKs installed:
5.0.405 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
5.0.408 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.202 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.301 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.302 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
9.0.100-rc.2.24474.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
9.0.101 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.1.19 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.1.22 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.1.27 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 5.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 5.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 5.0.14 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.35 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.0-rc.2.24474.3 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.0 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.19 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.22 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.27 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.32 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 5.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 5.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 5.0.14 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.12 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.35 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.0-rc.2.24473.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.0 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.1.19 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.1.22 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.1.27 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 5.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 5.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 5.0.14 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.15 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.35 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.10 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.11 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 9.0.0-rc.2.24474.4 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 9.0.0 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

Other architectures found:
x86 [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet]
registered at [HKLM\SOFTWARE\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x86\InstallLocation]

Environment variables:
Not set

global.json file:
Not found

Learn more:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/info

Download .NET:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/download

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Reproduce the action with a nullable List pages parameter and an URL that omits pages, then trace ASP.NET Core's model-binding entry point for collection parameters. Done means the omitted parameter binds to null rather than an empty collection, with a regression test covering the reported behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
csharp
Domain
api, backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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