Fix binding IEnumerable<T> with empty array configuration

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/gen/Emitter/CoreBindingHelpers.cs

@@ -976,11 +976,13 @@ complexType is not CollectionSpec &&
 
                             // The current configuration section doesn't have any children, let's check if we are binding to an array and the configuration value is empty string.
                             // In this case, we will assign an empty array to the member. Otherwise, we will skip the binding logic.
-                            if (complexType is ArraySpec arraySpec && canSet)
+                            if ((complexType is ArraySpec || complexType.IsExactIEnumerableOfT) && canSet)
                             {
+                                // Either we have an array or we have an IEnumerable<T> both these types can be assigned an empty array when having empty string configuration value.
+                                Debug.Assert(complexType is ArraySpec || complexType is EnumerableSpec);
                                 string valueIdentifier = GetIncrementalIdentifier(Identifier.value);
                                 EmitStartBlock($@"if ({memberAccessExpr} is null && {Identifier.TryGetConfigurationValue}({configSection}, {Identifier.key}: null, out string? {valueIdentifier}) && {valueIdentifier} == string.Empty)");
-                                _writer.WriteLine($"{memberAccessExpr} = global::System.{Identifier.Array}.Empty<{arraySpec.ElementTypeRef.FullyQualifiedName}>();");
+                                _writer.WriteLine($"{memberAccessExpr} = global::System.{Identifier.Array}.Empty<{((CollectionSpec)complexType).ElementTypeRef.FullyQualifiedName}>();");
                                 EmitEndBlock();
                             }
 

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/gen/Parser/KnownTypeSymbols.cs

@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public KnownTypeSymbols(CSharpCompilation compilation)
             Uri = compilation.GetBestTypeByMetadataName(typeof(Uri));
             Version = compilation.GetBestTypeByMetadataName(typeof(Version));
 
-            // Used to verify input configuation binding API calls.
+            // Used to verify input configuration binding API calls.
             INamedTypeSymbol? binderOptions = compilation.GetBestTypeByMetadataName("Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.BinderOptions");
             ActionOfBinderOptions = binderOptions is null ? null : compilation.GetBestTypeByMetadataName(typeof(Action<>))?.Construct(binderOptions);
             ConfigurationBinder = compilation.GetBestTypeByMetadataName("Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.ConfigurationBinder");

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/gen/Specs/Types/TypeSpec.cs

@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@ public TypeSpec(ITypeSymbol type)
             (DisplayString, FullName) = type.GetTypeNames();
             IdentifierCompatibleSubstring = type.ToIdentifierCompatibleSubstring();
             IsValueType = type.IsValueType;
-            IsValueTuple = type is INamedTypeSymbol namedTypeSymbol && namedTypeSymbol.IsTupleType;
+
+            if (type is INamedTypeSymbol namedTypeSymbol)
+            {
+                IsValueTuple = namedTypeSymbol.IsTupleType;
+                IsExactIEnumerableOfT = namedTypeSymbol.OriginalDefinition.SpecialType == SpecialType.System_Collections_Generic_IEnumerable_T;
+            }
         }
 
         public TypeRef TypeRef { get; }
@@ -39,6 +44,8 @@ public TypeSpec(ITypeSymbol type)
         public bool IsValueType { get; }
 
         public bool IsValueTuple { get; }
+
+        public bool IsExactIEnumerableOfT { get; }
     }
 
     public abstract record ComplexTypeSpec : TypeSpec

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/src/ConfigurationBinder.cs

@@ -503,20 +503,19 @@ private static void BindInstance(
                         throw new InvalidOperationException(SR.Format(SR.Error_FailedBinding, configValue, section.Path, type));
                     }
                 }
-                else
+                else if (!bindingPoint.IsReadOnly && bindingPoint.Value is null)
                 {
-                    if (isParentCollection && bindingPoint.Value is null)
+                    if (isParentCollection)
                     {
                         // Try to create the default instance of the type
                         bindingPoint.TrySetValue(CreateInstance(type, config, options, out _));
                     }
-                    else if (isConfigurationExist && bindingPoint.Value is null)
+                    else if (isConfigurationExist)
                     {
-                        // Don't override the existing array in bindingPoint.Value if it is already set.
-                        if (type.IsArray || IsImmutableArrayCompatibleInterface(type))
+                        if (type.IsArray || IsIEnumerableInterface(type))
                         {
                             // When having configuration value set to empty string, we create an empty array
-                            bindingPoint.TrySetValue(configValue is null ? null : Array.CreateInstance(type.GetElementType()!, 0));
+                            bindingPoint.TrySetValue(configValue is null ? null : Array.CreateInstance(type.IsArray ? type.GetElementType()! : type.GetGenericArguments()[0], 0));
                         }
                         else
                         {
@@ -1056,6 +1055,9 @@ private static bool IsImmutableArrayCompatibleInterface(Type type)
                 || genericTypeDefinition == typeof(IReadOnlyList<>);
         }
 
+        private static bool IsIEnumerableInterface(Type type)
+            => type.IsInterface && type.IsConstructedGenericType && type.GetGenericTypeDefinition() == typeof(IEnumerable<>);
+
         private static bool TypeIsASetInterface(Type type)
         {
             if (!type.IsInterface || !type.IsConstructedGenericType) { return false; }

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/tests/Common/ConfigurationBinderTests.TestClasses.cs

@@ -1178,5 +1178,11 @@ public class ArraysContainer
             public byte[] ByteArray2 { get; set; }
             public byte[] ByteArray3 { get; set; }
         }
+
+        public class MyOptionsWithNullableEnumerable
+        {
+            public IEnumerable<int>? IEnumerableProperty { get; set; }
+            public string[] StringArray { get; set; }
+        }
     }
 }

src/libraries/Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Binder/tests/Common/ConfigurationBinderTests.cs

@@ -3038,5 +3038,27 @@ public void TestProvidersOrder()
             Assert.Equal("Provider2A", result.A); // Value should come from the last provider
             Assert.Equal("Provider1B", result.B); // B should not be overridden by the second provider
         }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void TestBindingEmptyArrayToNullIEnumerable()
+        {
+            string jsonConfig1 = @"
+            {
+                ""MyService"": {
+                    ""IEnumerableProperty"": [],
+                    ""StringArray"": []
+                },
+            }";
+
+            var configuration = new ConfigurationBuilder()
+                        .AddJsonStream(new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(jsonConfig1)))
+                        .Build().GetSection("MyService");
+
+            MyOptionsWithNullableEnumerable? result = configuration.Get<MyOptionsWithNullableEnumerable>();
+
+            Assert.NotNull(result);
+            Assert.Equal(Array.Empty<int>(), result.IEnumerableProperty);
+            Assert.Equal(Array.Empty<string>(), result.StringArray);
+        }
     }
 }