How does LINQ handle null propagation in complex projections?

LINQ does not automatically protect against nulls; null propagation depends on expressions and provider translation.

In projections, accessing nested properties without null checks can lead to runtime exceptions in LINQ-to-Objects. In LINQ-to-Entities, EF Core may translate null checks into SQL CASE expressions or NULL-safe operations depending on provider capabilities. However, not all nested null scenarios are safely translated, making explicit null handling essential for correctness and stability.