What is a NullReferenceException, and how do I fix

Question

I have some code and when it executes, it throws a NullReferenceException, saying:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

What does this mean, and what can I do to fix this error?

Answer 1

On the matter of "what should I do about it", there can be many answers.

A more "formal" way of preventing such error conditions while developing is applying design by contract in your code. This means you need to set class invariants, and/or even function/method preconditions and postconditions on your system, while developing.

In short, class invariants ensure that there will be some constraints in your class that will not get violated in normal use (and therefore, the class will not get in an inconsistent state). Preconditions mean that data given as input to a function/method must follow some constraints set and never violate them, and postconditions mean that a function/method output must follow the set constraints again without ever violating them. Contract conditions should never be violated during execution of a bug-free program, therefore design by contract is checked in practice in debug mode, while being disabled in releases, to maximize the developed system performance.

This way, you can avoid NullReferenceException cases that are results of violation of the constraints set. For example, if you use an object property X in a class and later try to invoke one of its methods and X has a null value, then this will lead to NullReferenceException:

public X { get; set; }

public void InvokeX()
{
    X.DoSomething(); // if X value is null, you will get a NullReferenceException
}

But if you set "property X must never have a null value" as method precondition, then you can prevent the scenario described before:

//Using code contracts:
[ContractInvariantMethod]
protected void ObjectInvariant () 
{
    Contract.Invariant ( X != null );
    //...
}

For this cause, Code Contracts project exists for .NET applications.

Alternatively, design by contract can be applied using assertions.

UPDATE: It is worth mentioning that the term was coined by Bertrand Meyer in connection with his design of the Eiffel programming language.

Answer 2

What can you do about it?

There is a lot of good answers here explaining what a null reference is and how to debug it. But there is very little on how to prevent the issue or at least make it easier to catch.

Check arguments

For example, methods can check the different arguments to see if they are null and throw an ArgumentNullException, an exception obviously created for this exact purpose.

The constructor for the ArgumentNullException even takes the name of the parameter and a message as arguments so you can tell the developer exactly what the problem is.

public void DoSomething(MyObject obj) {
    if(obj == null) 
    {
        throw new ArgumentNullException("obj", "Need a reference to obj.");
    }
}

Use Tools

There are also several libraries that can help. "Resharper" for example can provide you with warnings while you are writing code, especially if you use their attribute: NotNullAttribute

There's "Microsoft Code Contracts" where you use syntax like Contract.Requires(obj != null) which gives you runtime and compile checking: Introducing Code Contracts.

There's also "PostSharp" which will allow you to just use attributes like this:

public void DoSometing([NotNull] obj)

By doing that and making PostSharp part of your build process obj will be checked for null at runtime. See: PostSharp null check

Plain Code Solution

Or you can always code your own approach using plain old code. For example here is a struct that you can use to catch null references. It's modeled after the same concept as Nullable<T>:

[System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode]
public struct NotNull<T> where T: class
{
    private T _value;

    public T Value
    {
        get
        {
            if (_value == null)
            {
                throw new Exception("null value not allowed");
            }

            return _value;
        }
        set
        {
            if (value == null)
            {
                throw new Exception("null value not allowed.");
            }

            _value = value;
        }
    }

    public static implicit operator T(NotNull<T> notNullValue)
    {
        return notNullValue.Value;
    }

    public static implicit operator NotNull<T>(T value)
    {
        return new NotNull<T> { Value = value };
    }
}

You would use very similar to the same way you would use Nullable<T>, except with the goal of accomplishing exactly the opposite - to not allow null. Here are some examples:

NotNull<Person> person = null; // throws exception
NotNull<Person> person = new Person(); // OK
NotNull<Person> person = GetPerson(); // throws exception if GetPerson() returns null

NotNull<T> is implicitly cast to and from T so you can use it just about anywhere you need it. For example, you can pass a Person object to a method that takes a NotNull<Person>:

Person person = new Person { Name = "John" };
WriteName(person);

public static void WriteName(NotNull<Person> person)
{
    Console.WriteLine(person.Value.Name);
}

As you can see above as with nullable you would access the underlying value through the Value property. Alternatively, you can use an explicit or implicit cast, you can see an example with the return value below:

Person person = GetPerson();

public static NotNull<Person> GetPerson()
{
    return new Person { Name = "John" };
}

Or you can even use it when the method just returns T (in this case Person) by doing a cast. For example, the following code would just like the code above:

Person person = (NotNull<Person>)GetPerson();

public static Person GetPerson()
{
    return new Person { Name = "John" };
}

Combine with Extension

Combine NotNull<T> with an extension method and you can cover even more situations. Here is an example of what the extension method can look like:

[System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCode]
public static class NotNullExtension
{
    public static T NotNull<T>(this T @this) where T: class
    {
        if (@this == null)
        {
            throw new Exception("null value not allowed");
        }

        return @this;
    }
}

And here is an example of how it could be used:

var person = GetPerson().NotNull();

GitHub

For your reference I made the code above available on GitHub, you can find it at:

https://github.com/luisperezphd/NotNull

Related Language Feature

C# 6.0 introduced the "null-conditional operator" that helps with this a little. With this feature, you can reference nested objects and if any one of them is null the whole expression returns null.

This reduces the number of null checks you have to do in some cases. The syntax is to put a question mark before each dot. Take the following code for example:

var address = country?.State?.County?.City;

Imagine that country is an object of type Country that has a property called State and so on. If country, State, County, or City is null then address will benull. Therefore you only have to check whetheraddressisnull`.

It's a great feature, but it gives you less information. It doesn't make it obvious which of the 4 is null.

Built-in like Nullable?

C# has a nice shorthand for Nullable<T>, you can make something nullable by putting a question mark after the type like so int?.

It would be nice if C# had something like the NotNull<T> struct above and had a similar shorthand, maybe the exclamation point (!) so that you could write something like: public void WriteName(Person! person).

Answer 3

You can fix NullReferenceException in a clean way using Null-conditional Operators in c#6 and write less code to handle null checks.

It's used to test for null before performing a member access (?.) or index (?[) operation.

Example

  var name = p?.Spouse?.FirstName;

is equivalent to:

    if (p != null)
    {
        if (p.Spouse != null)
        {
            name = p.Spouse.FirstName;
        }
    }

The result is that the name will be null when p is null or when p.Spouse is null.

Otherwise, the variable name will be assigned the value of the p.Spouse.FirstName.

For More details : Null-conditional Operators

Answer 4

TL;DR: Try using Html.Partial instead of Renderpage

---

I was getting Object reference not set to an instance of an object when I tried to render a View within a View by sending it a Model, like this:

@{
    MyEntity M = new MyEntity();
}
@RenderPage("_MyOtherView.cshtml", M); // error in _MyOtherView, the Model was Null

Debugging showed the model was Null inside MyOtherView. Until I changed it to:

@{
    MyEntity M = new MyEntity();
}
@Html.Partial("_MyOtherView.cshtml", M);

And it worked.

Furthermore, the reason I didn't have Html.Partial to begin with was because Visual Studio sometimes throws error-looking squiggly lines under Html.Partial if it's inside a differently constructed foreach loop, even though it's not really an error:

@inherits System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage
@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Entity Index";
    List<MyEntity> MyEntities = new List<MyEntity>();
    MyEntities.Add(new MyEntity());
    MyEntities.Add(new MyEntity());
    MyEntities.Add(new MyEntity());
}
<div>
    @{
        foreach(var M in MyEntities)
        {
            // Squiggly lines below. Hovering says: cannot convert method group 'partial' to non-delegate type Object, did you intend to envoke the Method?
            @Html.Partial("MyOtherView.cshtml");
        }
    }
</div>

But I was able to run the application with no problems with this "error". I was able to get rid of the error by changing the structure of the foreach loop to look like this:

@foreach(var M in MyEntities){
    ...
}

Although I have a feeling it was because Visual Studio was misreading the ampersands and brackets.

Answer 5

To use methods and member of an object you first have to create that object. If you didn't create it (variable that should hold the object is not initialized), but you try to use it's methods or variables you'll get that error.

Sometime you may just forgot to do initialization.

Edited: new can't return null, but fire's exception when failed. Long time ago it was the case in some languages, but not any more. Thanks @John Saunders for pointing that out.

Answer 6

NullReference Exception — Visual Basic

The NullReference Exception for Visual Basic is no different from the one in C#. After all, they are both reporting the same exception defined in the .NET Framework which they both use. Causes unique to Visual Basic are rare (perhaps only one).

This answer will use Visual Basic terms, syntax, and context. The examples used come from a large number of past Stack  Overflow questions. This is to maximize relevance by using the kinds of situations often seen in posts. A bit more explanation is also provided for those who might need it. An example similar to yours is very likely listed here.

Note:

1. This is concept-based: there is no code for you to paste into your project. It is intended to help you understand what causes a NullReferenceException (NRE), how to find it, how to fix it, and how to avoid it. An NRE can be caused many ways so this is unlikely to be your sole encounter.
2. The examples (from Stack  Overflow posts) do not always show the best way to do something in the first place.
3. Typically, the simplest remedy is used.

Basic Meaning

The message "Object not set to an instance of Object" means you are trying to use an object which has not been initialized. This boils down to one of these:

• Your code declared an object variable, but it did not initialize it (create an instance or 'instantiate' it)
• Something which your code assumed would initialize an object, did not
• Possibly, other code prematurely invalidated an object still in use

Finding The Cause

Since the problem is an object reference which is Nothing, the answer is to examine them to find out which one. Then determine why it is not initialized. Hold the mouse over the various variables and Visual Studio (VS) will show their values - the culprit will be Nothing.

You should also remove any Try/Catch blocks from the relevant code, especially ones where there is nothing in the Catch block. This will cause your code to crash when it tries to use an object which is Nothing. This is what you want because it will identify the exact location of the problem, and allow you to identify the object causing it.

A MsgBox in the Catch which displays Error while... will be of little help. This method also leads to very bad Stack  Overflow questions, because you can't describe the actual exception, the object involved or even the line of code where it happens.

You can also use the Locals Window (Debug -> Windows -> Locals) to examine your objects.

Once you know what and where the problem is, it is usually fairly easy to fix and faster than posting a new question.

See also:

• Breakpoints
• MSDN: How to: Use the Try/Catch Block to Catch Exceptions
• MSDN: Best Practices for Exceptions

Examples and Remedies

Class Objects / Creating an Instance

Dim reg As CashRegister
...
TextBox1.Text = reg.Amount         ' NRE

The problem is that Dim does not create a CashRegister object; it only declares a variable named reg of that Type. Declaring an object variable and creating an instance are two different things.

Remedy

The New operator can often be used to create the instance when you declare it:

Dim reg As New CashRegister        ' [New] creates instance, invokes the constructor

' Longer, more explicit form:
Dim reg As CashRegister = New CashRegister

When it is only appropriate to create the instance later:

Private reg As CashRegister         ' Declare
  ...
reg = New CashRegister()            ' Create instance

Note: Do not use Dim again in a procedure, including the constructor (Sub New):

Private reg As CashRegister
'...

Public Sub New()
   '...
   Dim reg As New CashRegister
End Sub

This will create a local variable, reg, which exists only in that context (sub). The reg variable with module level Scope which you will use everywhere else remains Nothing.

Missing the New operator is the #1 cause of NullReference Exceptions seen in the Stack  Overflow questions reviewed.

Visual Basic tries to make the process clear repeatedly using New: Using the New Operator creates a new object and calls Sub New -- the constructor -- where your object can perform any other initialization.

To be clear, Dim (or Private) only declares a variable and its Type. The Scope of the variable - whether it exists for the entire module/class or is local to a procedure - is determined by where it is declared. Private | Friend | Public defines the access level, not Scope.

For more information, see:

• New Operator
• Scope in Visual Basic
• Access Levels in Visual Basic
• Value Types and Reference Types

---

Arrays

Arrays must also be instantiated:

Private arr as String()

This array has only been declared, not created. There are several ways to initialize an array:

Private arr as String() = New String(10){}
' or
Private arr() As String = New String(10){}

' For a local array (in a procedure) and using 'Option Infer':
Dim arr = New String(10) {}

Note: Beginning with VS 2010, when initializing a local array using a literal and Option Infer, the As <Type> and New elements are optional:

Dim myDbl As Double() = {1.5, 2, 9.9, 18, 3.14}
Dim myDbl = New Double() {1.5, 2, 9.9, 18, 3.14}
Dim myDbl() = {1.5, 2, 9.9, 18, 3.14}

The data Type and array size are inferred from the data being assigned. Class/Module level declarations still require As <Type> with Option Strict:

Private myDoubles As Double() = {1.5, 2, 9.9, 18, 3.14}

Example: Array of class objects

Dim arrFoo(5) As Foo

For i As Integer = 0 To arrFoo.Count - 1
   arrFoo(i).Bar = i * 10       ' Exception
Next

The array has been created, but the Foo objects in it have not.

Remedy

For i As Integer = 0 To arrFoo.Count - 1
    arrFoo(i) = New Foo()         ' Create Foo instance
    arrFoo(i).Bar = i * 10
Next

Using a List(Of T) will make it quite difficult to have an element without a valid object:

Dim FooList As New List(Of Foo)     ' List created, but it is empty
Dim f As Foo                        ' Temporary variable for the loop

For i As Integer = 0 To 5
    f = New Foo()                    ' Foo instance created
    f.Bar =  i * 10
    FooList.Add(f)                   ' Foo object added to list
Next

For more information, see:

• Option Infer Statement
• Scope in Visual Basic
• Arrays in Visual Basic

---

Lists and Collections

.NET collections (of which there are many varieties - Lists, Dictionary, etc.) must also be instantiated or created.

Private myList As List(Of String)
..
myList.Add("ziggy")           ' NullReference

You get the same exception for the same reason - myList was only declared, but no instance created. The remedy is the same:

myList = New List(Of String)

' Or create an instance when declared:
Private myList As New List(Of String)

A common oversight is a class which uses a collection Type:

Public Class Foo
    Private barList As List(Of Bar)

    Friend Function BarCount As Integer
        Return barList.Count
    End Function

    Friend Sub AddItem(newBar As Bar)
        If barList.Contains(newBar) = False Then
            barList.Add(newBar)
        End If
    End Function

Either procedure will result in an NRE, because barList is only declared, not instantiated. Creating an instance of Foo will not also create an instance of the internal barList. It may have been the intent to do this in the constructor:

Public Sub New         ' Constructor
    ' Stuff to do when a new Foo is created...
    barList = New List(Of Bar)
End Sub

As before, this is incorrect:

Public Sub New()
    ' Creates another barList local to this procedure
     Dim barList As New List(Of Bar)
End Sub

For more information, see List(Of T) Class.

---

Data Provider Objects

Working with databases presents many opportunities for a NullReference because there can be many objects (Command, Connection, Transaction, Dataset, DataTable, DataRows....) in use at once. Note: It does not matter which data provider you are using -- MySQL, SQL Server, OleDB, etc. -- the concepts are the same.

Example 1

Dim da As OleDbDataAdapter
Dim ds As DataSet
Dim MaxRows As Integer

con.Open()
Dim sql = "SELECT * FROM tblfoobar_List"
da = New OleDbDataAdapter(sql, con)
da.Fill(ds, "foobar")
con.Close()

MaxRows = ds.Tables("foobar").Rows.Count      ' Error

As before, the ds Dataset object was declared, but an instance was never created. The DataAdapter will fill an existing DataSet, not create one. In this case, since ds is a local variable, the IDE warns you that this might happen:

When declared as a module/class level variable, as appears to be the case with con, the compiler can't know if the object was created by an upstream procedure. Do not ignore warnings.

Remedy

Dim ds As New DataSet

Example 2

ds = New DataSet
da = New OleDBDataAdapter(sql, con)
da.Fill(ds, "Employees")

txtID.Text = ds.Tables("Employee").Rows(0).Item(1)
txtID.Name = ds.Tables("Employee").Rows(0).Item(2)

A typo is a problem here: Employees vs Employee. There was no DataTable named "Employee" created, so a NullReferenceException results trying to access it. Another potential problem is assuming there will be Items which may not be so when the SQL includes a WHERE clause.

Remedy

Since this uses one table, using Tables(0) will avoid spelling errors. Examining Rows.Count can also help:

If ds.Tables(0).Rows.Count > 0 Then
    txtID.Text = ds.Tables(0).Rows(0).Item(1)
    txtID.Name = ds.Tables(0).Rows(0).Item(2)
End If

Fill is a function returning the number of Rows affected which can also be tested:

If da.Fill(ds, "Employees") > 0 Then...

Example 3

Dim da As New OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter("SELECT TICKET.TICKET_NO,
        TICKET.CUSTOMER_ID, ... FROM TICKET_RESERVATION AS TICKET INNER JOIN
        FLIGHT_DETAILS AS FLIGHT ... WHERE [TICKET.TICKET_NO]= ...", con)
Dim ds As New DataSet
da.Fill(ds)

If ds.Tables("TICKET_RESERVATION").Rows.Count > 0 Then

The DataAdapter will provide TableNames as shown in the previous example, but it does not parse names from the SQL or database table. As a result, ds.Tables("TICKET_RESERVATION") references a non-existent table.

The Remedy is the same, reference the table by index:

If ds.Tables(0).Rows.Count > 0 Then

See also DataTable Class.

---

Object Paths / Nested

If myFoo.Bar.Items IsNot Nothing Then
   ...

The code is only testing Items while both myFoo and Bar may also be Nothing. The remedy is to test the entire chain or path of objects one at a time:

If (myFoo IsNot Nothing) AndAlso
    (myFoo.Bar IsNot Nothing) AndAlso
    (myFoo.Bar.Items IsNot Nothing) Then
    ....

AndAlso is important. Subsequent tests will not be performed once the first False condition is encountered. This allows the code to safely 'drill' into the object(s) one 'level' at a time, evaluating myFoo.Bar only after (and if) myFoo is determined to be valid. Object chains or paths can get quite long when coding complex objects:

myBase.myNodes(3).Layer.SubLayer.Foo.Files.Add("somefilename")

It is not possible to reference anything 'downstream' of a null object. This also applies to controls:

myWebBrowser.Document.GetElementById("formfld1").InnerText = "some value"

Here, myWebBrowser or Document could be Nothing or the formfld1 element may not exist.

---

UI Controls

Dim cmd5 As New SqlCommand("select Cartons, Pieces, Foobar " _
     & "FROM Invoice where invoice_no = '" & _
     Me.ComboBox5.SelectedItem.ToString.Trim & "' And category = '" & _
     Me.ListBox1.SelectedItem.ToString.Trim & "' And item_name = '" & _
     Me.ComboBox2.SelectedValue.ToString.Trim & "' And expiry_date = '" & _
     Me.expiry.Text & "'", con)

Among other things, this code does not anticipate that the user may not have selected something in one or more UI controls. ListBox1.SelectedItem may well be Nothing, so ListBox1.SelectedItem.ToString will result in an NRE.

Remedy

Validate data before using it (also use Option Strict and SQL parameters):

Dim expiry As DateTime         ' for text date validation
If (ComboBox5.SelectedItems.Count > 0) AndAlso
    (ListBox1.SelectedItems.Count > 0) AndAlso
    (ComboBox2.SelectedItems.Count > 0) AndAlso
    (DateTime.TryParse(expiry.Text, expiry) Then

    '... do stuff
Else
    MessageBox.Show(...error message...)
End If

Alternatively, you can use (ComboBox5.SelectedItem IsNot Nothing) AndAlso...

---

Visual Basic Forms

Public Class Form1

    Private NameBoxes = New TextBox(5) {Controls("TextBox1"), _
                   Controls("TextBox2"), Controls("TextBox3"), _
                   Controls("TextBox4"), Controls("TextBox5"), _
                   Controls("TextBox6")}

    ' same thing in a different format:
    Private boxList As New List(Of TextBox) From {TextBox1, TextBox2, TextBox3 ...}

    ' Immediate NRE:
    Private somevar As String = Me.Controls("TextBox1").Text

This is a fairly common way to get an NRE. In C#, depending on how it is coded, the IDE will report that Controls does not exist in the current context, or "cannot reference non-static member". So, to some extent, this is a VB-only situation. It is also complex because it can result in a failure cascade.

The arrays and collections cannot be initialized this way. This initialization code will run before the constructor creates the Form or the Controls. As a result:

• Lists and Collection will simply be empty
• The Array will contain five elements of Nothing
• The somevar assignment will result in an immediate NRE because Nothing doesn't have a .Text property

Referencing array elements later will result in an NRE. If you do this in Form_Load, due to an odd bug, the IDE may not report the exception when it happens. The exception will pop up later when your code tries to use the array. This "silent exception" is detailed in this post. For our purposes, the key is that when something catastrophic happens while creating a form (Sub New or Form Load event), exceptions may go unreported, the code exits the procedure and just displays the form.

Since no other code in your Sub New or Form Load event will run after the NRE, a great many other things can be left uninitialized.

Sub Form_Load(..._
   '...
   Dim name As String = NameBoxes(2).Text        ' NRE
   ' ...
   ' More code (which will likely not be executed)
   ' ...
End Sub

Note this applies to any and all control and component references making these illegal where they are:

Public Class Form1

    Private myFiles() As String = Me.OpenFileDialog1.FileName & ...
    Private dbcon As String = OpenFileDialog1.FileName & ";Jet Oledb..."
    Private studentName As String = TextBox13.Text

Partial Remedy

It is curious that VB does not provide a warning, but the remedy is to declare the containers at the form level, but initialize them in form load event handler when the controls do exist. This can be done in Sub New as long as your code is after the InitializeComponent call:

' Module level declaration
Private NameBoxes as TextBox()
Private studentName As String

' Form Load, Form Shown or Sub New:
'
' Using the OP's approach (illegal using OPTION STRICT)
NameBoxes = New TextBox() {Me.Controls("TextBox1"), Me.Controls("TestBox2"), ...)
studentName = TextBox32.Text           ' For simple control references

The array code may not be out of the woods yet. Any controls which are in a container control (like a GroupBox or Panel) will not be found in Me.Controls; they will be in the Controls collection of that Panel or GroupBox. Nor will a control be returned when the control name is misspelled ("TeStBox2"). In such cases, Nothing will again be stored in those array elements and an NRE will result when you attempt to reference it.

These should be easy to find now that you know what you are looking for:

"Button2" resides on a Panel

Remedy

Rather than indirect references by name using the form's Controls collection, use the control reference:

' Declaration
Private NameBoxes As TextBox()

' Initialization -  simple and easy to read, hard to botch:
NameBoxes = New TextBox() {TextBox1, TextBox2, ...)

' Initialize a List
NamesList = New List(Of TextBox)({TextBox1, TextBox2, TextBox3...})
' or
NamesList = New List(Of TextBox)
NamesList.AddRange({TextBox1, TextBox2, TextBox3...})

---

Function Returning Nothing

Private bars As New List(Of Bars)        ' Declared and created

Public Function BarList() As List(Of Bars)
    bars.Clear
    If someCondition Then
        For n As Integer = 0 to someValue
            bars.Add(GetBar(n))
        Next n
    Else
        Exit Function
    End If

    Return bars
End Function

This is a case where the IDE will warn you that 'not all paths return a value and a NullReferenceException may result'. You can suppress the warning, by replacing Exit Function with Return Nothing, but that does not solve the problem. Anything which tries to use the return when someCondition = False will result in an NRE:

bList = myFoo.BarList()
For Each b As Bar in bList      ' EXCEPTION
      ...

Remedy

Replace Exit Function in the function with Return bList. Returning an empty List is not the same as returning Nothing. If there is a chance that a returned object can be Nothing, test before using it:

 bList = myFoo.BarList()
 If bList IsNot Nothing Then...

---

Poorly Implemented Try/Catch

A badly implemented Try/Catch can hide where the problem is and result in new ones:

Dim dr As SqlDataReader
Try
    Dim lnk As LinkButton = TryCast(sender, LinkButton)
    Dim gr As GridViewRow = DirectCast(lnk.NamingContainer, GridViewRow)
    Dim eid As String = GridView1.DataKeys(gr.RowIndex).Value.ToString()
    ViewState("username") = eid
    sqlQry = "select FirstName, Surname, DepartmentName, ExtensionName, jobTitle,
             Pager, mailaddress, from employees1 where username='" & eid & "'"
    If connection.State <> ConnectionState.Open Then
        connection.Open()
    End If
    command = New SqlCommand(sqlQry, connection)

    'More code fooing and barring

    dr = command.ExecuteReader()
    If dr.Read() Then
        lblFirstName.Text = Convert.ToString(dr("FirstName"))
        ...
    End If
    mpe.Show()
Catch

Finally
    command.Dispose()
    dr.Close()             ' <-- NRE
    connection.Close()
End Try

This is a case of an object not being created as expected, but also demonstrates the counter usefulness of an empty Catch.

There is an extra comma in the SQL (after 'mailaddress') which results in an exception at .ExecuteReader. After the Catch does nothing, Finally tries to perform clean up, but since you cannot Close a null DataReader object, a brand new NullReferenceException results.

An empty Catch block is the devil's playground. This OP was baffled why he was getting an NRE in the Finally block. In other situations, an empty Catch may result in something else much further downstream going haywire and cause you to spend time looking at the wrong things in the wrong place for the problem. (The "silent exception" described above provides the same entertainment value.)

Remedy

Don't use empty Try/Catch blocks - let the code crash so you can a) identify the cause b) identify the location and c) apply a proper remedy. Try/Catch blocks are not intended to hide exceptions from the person uniquely qualified to fix them - the developer.

---

DBNull is not the same as Nothing

For Each row As DataGridViewRow In dgvPlanning.Rows
    If Not IsDBNull(row.Cells(0).Value) Then
        ...

The IsDBNull function is used to test if a value equals System.DBNull: From MSDN:

The System.DBNull value indicates that the Object represents missing or non-existent data. DBNull is not the same as Nothing, which indicates that a variable has not yet been initialized.

Remedy

If row.Cells(0) IsNot Nothing Then ...

As before, you can test for Nothing, then for a specific value:

If (row.Cells(0) IsNot Nothing) AndAlso (IsDBNull(row.Cells(0).Value) = False) Then

Example 2

Dim getFoo = (From f In dbContext.FooBars
               Where f.something = something
               Select f).FirstOrDefault

If Not IsDBNull(getFoo) Then
    If IsDBNull(getFoo.user_id) Then
        txtFirst.Text = getFoo.first_name
    Else
       ...

FirstOrDefault returns the first item or the default value, which is Nothing for reference types and never DBNull:

If getFoo IsNot Nothing Then...

---

Controls

Dim chk As CheckBox

chk = CType(Me.Controls(chkName), CheckBox)
If chk.Checked Then
    Return chk
End If

If a CheckBox with chkName can't be found (or exists in a GroupBox), then chk will be Nothing and be attempting to reference any property will result in an exception.

Remedy

If (chk IsNot Nothing) AndAlso (chk.Checked) Then ...

The DataGridView

The DGV has a few quirks seen periodically:

dgvBooks.DataSource = loan.Books
dgvBooks.Columns("ISBN").Visible = True       ' NullReferenceException
dgvBooks.Columns("Title").DefaultCellStyle.Format = "C"
dgvBooks.Columns("Author").DefaultCellStyle.Format = "C"
dgvBooks.Columns("Price").DefaultCellStyle.Format = "C"

If dgvBooks has AutoGenerateColumns = True, it will create the columns, but it does not name them, so the above code fails when it references them by name.

Remedy

Name the columns manually, or reference by index:

dgvBooks.Columns(0).Visible = True

Example 2 — Beware of the NewRow

xlWorkSheet = xlWorkBook.Sheets("sheet1")

For i = 0 To myDGV.RowCount - 1
    For j = 0 To myDGV.ColumnCount - 1
        For k As Integer = 1 To myDGV.Columns.Count
            xlWorkSheet.Cells(1, k) = myDGV.Columns(k - 1).HeaderText
            xlWorkSheet.Cells(i + 2, j + 1) = myDGV(j, i).Value.ToString()
        Next
    Next
Next

When your DataGridView has AllowUserToAddRows as True (the default), the Cells in the blank/new row at the bottom will all contain Nothing. Most attempts to use the contents (for example, ToString) will result in an NRE.

Remedy

Use a For/Each loop and test the IsNewRow property to determine if it is that last row. This works whether AllowUserToAddRows is true or not:

For Each r As DataGridViewRow in myDGV.Rows
    If r.IsNewRow = False Then
         ' ok to use this row

If you do use a For n loop, modify the row count or use Exit For when IsNewRow is true.

---

My.Settings (StringCollection)

Under certain circumstances, trying to use an item from My.Settings which is a StringCollection can result in a NullReference the first time you use it. The solution is the same, but not as obvious. Consider:

My.Settings.FooBars.Add("ziggy")         ' foobars is a string collection

Since VB is managing Settings for you, it is reasonable to expect it to initialize the collection. It will, but only if you have previously added an initial entry to the collection (in the Settings editor). Since the collection is (apparently) initialized when an item is added, it remains Nothing when there are no items in the Settings editor to add.

Remedy

Initialize the settings collection in the form's Load event handler, if/when needed:

If My.Settings.FooBars Is Nothing Then
    My.Settings.FooBars = New System.Collections.Specialized.StringCollection
End If

Typically, the Settings collection will only need to be initialized the first time the application runs. An alternate remedy is to add an initial value to your collection in Project -> Settings | FooBars, save the project, then remove the fake value.

---

Key Points

You probably forgot the New operator.

or

Something you assumed would perform flawlessly to return an initialized object to your code, did not.

Don't ignore compiler warnings (ever) and use Option Strict On (always).

---

MSDN NullReference Exception