docs: def nz(value, none_value, strict=True):
      ''' This function is named after an old VBA function. It returns a default
          value if the passed in value is None. If strict is False it will
          treat an empty string as None as well.
  
          example:
          x = None
          nz(x,"hello")
          --> "hello"
          nz(x,"")
          --> ""
          y = ""
          nz(y,"hello")
          --> ""
          nz(y,"hello", False)
          --> "hello" '''
      if not DEBUG:
          debug = False
      else:
          debug = False
      if debug: print("START nz frameworkutilities.py ----------------------\n")
      if value is None and strict:
          return_val = none_value
      elif strict and value is not None:
          return_val = value
      elif not strict and not is_not_null(value):
          return_val = none_value
      else:
          return_val = value
      if debug: print("value: %s | none_value: %s | return_val: %s" %
          (value, none_value, return_val))
      if debug: print("END nz frameworkutilities.py ----------------------\n")
      return return_val