component.find throwing error when component is created conditionally in lightning

Question

I have the following code in my component

<aura:if isTrue="{! not(empty(v.assignedto)) }"> 
                                        <lightning:input aura:id="assignedToInput" value="{#v.assignedto.value}"  label=""/>
                                    <aura:set attribute="else">
                                        <lightning:input aura:id="assignedToInput" value=""  class="slds-hide" label=""/>
                                    </aura:set>
                            </aura:if>

The following is the helper code

getAccountRequestListHelper : function(component,event,helper){
        console.log('inside get account list helper'+component.get("v.ucn"));

        var action = component.get("c.searchAccounts");
        console.log('Here 1');
        var assignedToId = component.find("assignedToInput1").get('v.value');
        console.log('Here 2'+assignedToId);
        console.log('assignedToInput'+assignedToId);
        .
        .
        .

here I am getting an error in line

var assignedToId = component.find("assignedToInput").get('v.value');

when assignedToInput1 is not populated in the component. The assignedToInput1 value is conditional. It will not always be populated. can anyone tell me how to get over this issue

Answer 1

Something like this would avoid invoking get on an undefined value:

var input = component.find("assignedToInput1");
var assignedToId = input ? input.get('v.value') : null;