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  3. What is the most common error in a .Net application?

What is the most common error in a .Net application?

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  • L leppie

    This is the most common error for most languages that support null/NULL reference assignment.

    xacc.ide - now with TabsToSpaces support
    IronScheme - 1.0 beta 1 - out now!
    ((lambda (x) `((lambda (x) ,x) ',x)) '`((lambda (x) ,x) ',x))

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    jith iii
    wrote on last edited by
    #6

    If you can assign null to a string,why the hell they are not making null.ToString() atleast null without cribbing. I hate the concept of null considering the harm this error caused to our delivery.

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    • S Super Lloyd

      And what about Trim()? Hehe... Just want to point out that the very limited scope of your warning is funny! ;P Any method can potentially fire a null reference exception hey! :-D

      A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station.... _________________________________________________________ My programs never have bugs, they just develop random features.

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      jith iii
      wrote on last edited by
      #7

      :) ...but I don't know, ToString() is quite popular here. It's coming repeatedly everywhere. May be,people Trim() only after they polish the null refernece with ToString()

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      • J jith iii

        Last week we had a code delivery. We have been taught from the graduation days that ToString() without a null check is a bomb. Still we got it in a critical part . "Object reference not set" My vote goes for it.

        modified on Monday, December 15, 2008 2:26 PM

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        Tomz_KV
        wrote on last edited by
        #8

        That is something I do not understand. Why ToString() can't handle the "null" automatically? It must have a good reason.

        TOMZ_KV

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        • J jith iii

          If you can assign null to a string,why the hell they are not making null.ToString() atleast null without cribbing. I hate the concept of null considering the harm this error caused to our delivery.

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          Rob Graham
          wrote on last edited by
          #9

          jith - iii wrote:

          If you can assign null to a string,

          You're not assigning null to a string. You're setting a reference to a string to null (meaning it refers to nothing), not at all the same thing. You are forgetting that strings are reference types, not value types. Since the null is an invalid reference, there is nothing (no class instance or static object) which might implement ToString(), hence the null reference exception.

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          • R realJSOP

            I vote for the part where the user is given a chance to enter data. If a program is going to crash, that's most likely going to be the reason.

            "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
            -----
            "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

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            Gary Wheeler
            wrote on last edited by
            #10

            My approach is to strike first.

            Software Zen: delete this;

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            • T Tomz_KV

              That is something I do not understand. Why ToString() can't handle the "null" automatically? It must have a good reason.

              TOMZ_KV

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              Rob Graham
              wrote on last edited by
              #11

              It's similar to an uninitialized pointer in C++. It's just the address of an object (which if null is an invalid address), nothing exists to implement the method.

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              • T ToddHileHoffer

                In .net it is the classic "object reference not set to an instance of an object". Speaking of bugs, I started a new position back in June. This company (not an IT company) does an amazing job of testing. The first application I did here was coded in about 4 weeks by myself and a consultant. The company used the application in test for an entire month before we rolled it out. It has been live for six weeks now without one bug or code change required. This is the first time, I have accomplished this.

                I didn't get any requirements for the signature

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                PJ Arends
                wrote on last edited by
                #12

                Quick! Knock on wood. Now that you mentioned it out in the open, the bug reports will come swarming in.


                You may be right I may be crazy -- Billy Joel -- Within you lies the power for good - Use it!

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                • J jith iii

                  Last week we had a code delivery. We have been taught from the graduation days that ToString() without a null check is a bomb. Still we got it in a critical part . "Object reference not set" My vote goes for it.

                  modified on Monday, December 15, 2008 2:26 PM

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                  Rama Krishna Vavilala
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #13

                  You should program in Objective C where it is legal to invoke methods on nulls.

                  id v = nil;
                  NSString* valueAsString = [v description];

                  modified on Monday, December 15, 2008 2:58 PM

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                  • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

                    You should program in Objective C where it is legal to invoke methods on nulls.

                    id v = nil;
                    NSString* valueAsString = [v description];

                    modified on Monday, December 15, 2008 2:58 PM

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                    Rob Graham
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #14

                    Would his code have been any less broken?

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                    • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

                      You should program in Objective C where it is legal to invoke methods on nulls.

                      id v = nil;
                      NSString* valueAsString = [v description];

                      modified on Monday, December 15, 2008 2:58 PM

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                      Super Lloyd
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #15

                      ObjectiveC is a beast of its own... It's even legal to call method which don't exist! Who knows, a Forward or a Category might even intercept them?

                      A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station.... _________________________________________________________ My programs never have bugs, they just develop random features.

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                      • R Rob Graham

                        Would his code have been any less broken?

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                        Rama Krishna Vavilala
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #16

                        It Depends:).

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                        • S Super Lloyd

                          ObjectiveC is a beast of its own... It's even legal to call method which don't exist! Who knows, a Forward or a Category might even intercept them?

                          A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station.... _________________________________________________________ My programs never have bugs, they just develop random features.

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                          Rama Krishna Vavilala
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #17

                          Super Lloyd wrote:

                          It's even legal to call method which don't exist!

                          Yes and this feature has its own strengths (and weaknesses).

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                          • R Rob Graham

                            jith - iii wrote:

                            If you can assign null to a string,

                            You're not assigning null to a string. You're setting a reference to a string to null (meaning it refers to nothing), not at all the same thing. You are forgetting that strings are reference types, not value types. Since the null is an invalid reference, there is nothing (no class instance or static object) which might implement ToString(), hence the null reference exception.

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                            TheGreatAndPowerfulOz
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #18

                            in C++, the target function actually gets called and so long as no reference is made to instance variables in that function, no null reference will occur due to the null 'this' (obviously, something else could be null). So, a somewhat common tactic is to test for "this == null" or "this != null".

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                            • T Tomz_KV

                              That is something I do not understand. Why ToString() can't handle the "null" automatically? It must have a good reason.

                              TOMZ_KV

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                              TheGreatAndPowerfulOz
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #19

                              add a static extension method

                              string string.ToString(string target)
                              {
                              return (target ?? "").ToString();
                              }

                              or simply code your ToString calls as:

                              (target ?? "").ToString()

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                              • T ToddHileHoffer

                                In .net it is the classic "object reference not set to an instance of an object". Speaking of bugs, I started a new position back in June. This company (not an IT company) does an amazing job of testing. The first application I did here was coded in about 4 weeks by myself and a consultant. The company used the application in test for an entire month before we rolled it out. It has been live for six weeks now without one bug or code change required. This is the first time, I have accomplished this.

                                I didn't get any requirements for the signature

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                                dan sh
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #20

                                334,000 google search results for the error message(with quotes). It surely is the most popular

                                C isn't that hard: void (*(*f[])())() defines f as an array of unspecified size, of pointers to functions that return pointers to functions that return void "Always program as if the person who will be maintaining your program is a violent psychopath that knows where you live." - Martin Golding

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                                • R Rob Graham

                                  jith - iii wrote:

                                  If you can assign null to a string,

                                  You're not assigning null to a string. You're setting a reference to a string to null (meaning it refers to nothing), not at all the same thing. You are forgetting that strings are reference types, not value types. Since the null is an invalid reference, there is nothing (no class instance or static object) which might implement ToString(), hence the null reference exception.

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                                  jith iii
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #21

                                  well,grammer may be wrong,but I meant the same. It will instantly give error if you try to set null to an integer,right? why double standard to string where you can set it to nothing but not otherwise? :) (Just consider this as an emotional outburst. I don't really want to excuse people forgetting a null check)

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                                  • T TheGreatAndPowerfulOz

                                    add a static extension method

                                    string string.ToString(string target)
                                    {
                                    return (target ?? "").ToString();
                                    }

                                    or simply code your ToString calls as:

                                    (target ?? "").ToString()

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                                    Tomz_KV
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #22

                                    I've been using (target==null?"":target).ToString( :) ) so far. ?? is a nicer.

                                    TOMZ_KV

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                                    • T ToddHileHoffer

                                      In .net it is the classic "object reference not set to an instance of an object". Speaking of bugs, I started a new position back in June. This company (not an IT company) does an amazing job of testing. The first application I did here was coded in about 4 weeks by myself and a consultant. The company used the application in test for an entire month before we rolled it out. It has been live for six weeks now without one bug or code change required. This is the first time, I have accomplished this.

                                      I didn't get any requirements for the signature

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                                      MidwestLimey
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #23

                                      ToddHileHoffer wrote:

                                      It has been live for six weeks now without one bug or code change required

                                      You do realize no one is using it, don't you?

                                      Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore

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                                      • M MidwestLimey

                                        ToddHileHoffer wrote:

                                        It has been live for six weeks now without one bug or code change required

                                        You do realize no one is using it, don't you?

                                        Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore

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                                        ToddHileHoffer
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #24

                                        MidwestLimey wrote:

                                        You do realize no one is using it, don't you?

                                        That is what I thought at first. After the second day of it being in production I had to check the database to see what was up. I hadn't gotten any emails from the error handler. I thought either the error handler is busted or they were not using it.

                                        I didn't get any requirements for the signature

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                                        • S Super Lloyd

                                          ObjectiveC is a beast of its own... It's even legal to call method which don't exist! Who knows, a Forward or a Category might even intercept them?

                                          A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station.... _________________________________________________________ My programs never have bugs, they just develop random features.

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                                          Nemanja Trifunovic
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #25

                                          Super Lloyd wrote:

                                          ObjectiveC is a beast of its own... It's even legal to call method which don't exist!

                                          ObjectiveC is an attempt to turn C into SmallTalk.

                                          Programming Blog utf8-cpp

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