Always verify pointers are valid before dereferencing to prevent crashes and undefined behavior. This applies to regular pointers, weak pointers, and return values from C functions that may return null.

Use implicit bool conversion instead of explicit null comparisons for cleaner code:

// Preferred
if (ptr) {
    ptr->doSomething();
}

// Avoid
if (ptr != nullptr) {
    ptr->doSomething();
}

For weak pointers, use the appropriate check method:

Use operator bool or .expired() when you only need to test validity
Use .lock() only when you need the actual shared pointer

Apply guard patterns with early returns to reduce nesting:

if (!ptr)
    return;
    
ptr->doSomething();

Pay special attention to C function returns that may be null:

const char* env = getenv("VAR_NAME");
if (!env)
    return defaultValue;

Critical areas requiring null checks include: pointer dereferences in event handlers, accessing monitor/window objects that may be destroyed, and any pointer obtained from external APIs or lookups.

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