SystemNullReferenceException in designer for a WPF project in Visual Studio 2015 Update 1

Question

It was working fine before Update 1. What's wrong with my setup or update 1?

Additional info:

I do have an HP machine but without any environment variable: "Platform". (I say that because of this StackOverflow question).
I tried with every projects of my solution set to compile in "x86" and also tried with set to "Any CPU".
It only happen to one Dialog, all others and UserControls are fine.
"Bad Image Format" usually occurs when mixing code of different processor. For example: dll compiled for x86 and other one compiled for x64.
The project compile and run fine. The bug only happen in Design Mode.

On the 3 choices I have:

If I choose "Click here to disable..." I receive this:

If I choose "Click here to reload...", I get a new Stack Trace with (Now it is always that exception, in x86 or Any CPU):

System.BadImageFormatException
An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007000B)
   at Mocks.Xceed_Wpf_DataGrid_DataGridCollectionView_0_48446931.System.Collections.ICollection.get_Count()
   at Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.ItemsSourceHelper.GetFirstItemByEnumerable(IEnumerable enumerable)
   at Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.ItemsSourceHelper.GetItemTypeFromEnumeration(IEnumerable source)
   at Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.ItemsSourceHelper.GetFields(IEnumerable itemsSource, Type itemType)
   at Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.DataGridContext.get_ItemsSourceFieldDescriptors()
   at Xceed.Wpf.DataGrid.DataGridControl.GenerateColumnsFromItemsSourceFields()

Exception stack trace:

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Platform.Utility.DocumentContext.CreateNode(ITypeId typeId)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseCompositeElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElementContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, DocumentNode& node)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, IProperty childProperty, TypeConverter textTypeConverter, ITypeId textType, PropertyHandling propertyHandling)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, Predicate`1 propertyFilter)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseCompositeElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElementContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, DocumentNode& node)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, IProperty childProperty, TypeConverter textTypeConverter, ITypeId textType, PropertyHandling propertyHandling)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, Predicate`1 propertyFilter)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseCompositeElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElementContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, DocumentNode& node)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, IProperty childProperty, TypeConverter textTypeConverter, ITypeId textType, PropertyHandling propertyHandling)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, Predicate`1 propertyFilter)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseCompositeElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElementContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, DocumentNode& node)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, IProperty childProperty, TypeConverter textTypeConverter, ITypeId textType, PropertyHandling propertyHandling)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement, Predicate`1 propertyFilter)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.AddPropertiesAndChildren(XamlParserContext parserContext, DocumentCompositeNodeReference nodeReference, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseCompositeElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseElementContent(XamlParserContext parserContext, IDocumentNodeReference nodeReference, IType typeId, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseRootElement(XamlParserContext parserContext, XmlElementReference xmlElementReference, XmlElement xmlElement)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.Parse(XamlParserContext parserContext, XmlDocumentReference xmlDocumentReference, XmlDocument xmlDocument)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlParser.ParseInternal(XamlParserContext parserContext)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.XamlLanguageService.ParseDocument(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Markup.MarkupDocument..ctor(IDocumentContext documentContext, ITypeId expectedRootType, ITextBuffer textBuffer, Encoding documentEncoding, IMarkupLanguageService languageService, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.Documents.SceneMarkupDocument..ctor(IDocumentContext documentContext, IUndoService undoService, ITypeId expectedRootType, ITextBuffer textBuffer, Encoding documentEncoding, IMarkupLanguageService languageService, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DocumentViewContext.CreateMarkupDocument(ISourceItemContext sourceItem, IHostTextBuffer textBuffer, Encoding encoding, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DocumentViewContext.CreateDocument(ISourceItemContext sourceItem, CancellationToken cancelToken, Boolean isReadOnly, Boolean cloneBufferToStandalone, Boolean suppressUI, SceneDocument originalSceneDocument)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DocumentViewContext.OpenDocument(ISourceItemContext sourceItem, CancellationToken cancelToken, Boolean isReadOnly, Boolean suppressUI)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.Designer.DesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass12_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass6_0`1.<MarshalInWithCancellation>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Server stack trace: 
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalInSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalIn(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalIn(IRemoteObject targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, CallModality callModality, ApartmentState apartmentState, String memberName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.MarshalInWithCancellation[TResult](IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken, Func`2 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.RemoteDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)

Exception rethrown at [0]: 
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.IRemoteDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IRemoteHostProject remoteProject, IRemoteHostSourceItem remoteItem, IRemoteHostTextEditor remoteEditor, IRemoteCancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.CreateDesignerImpl(IRemoteDesignerService ds, IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, RemoteCancellationToken remoteCancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.<Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds, RemoteCancellationToken remoteToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.<>c__DisplayClass5_0`1.<MarshalOutWithCancellation>b__0(IRemoteDesignerService ds)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.<>c__DisplayClass28_0`1.<MarshalOut>b__0()
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.Call.InvokeWorker()

System.NullReferenceException
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.WaitForCompletion(NestedCallContext nestedCallContext, BlockingCall call, WaitHandle timeoutSignal)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOutSynchronous(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, CancellationToken cancelToken, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.STAMarshaler.MarshalOut(Action action, Int32 targetApartmentId, WaitHandle aborted, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, WaitHandle timeoutSignal, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.ThreadMarshaler.MarshalOut[TValue](RemoteHandle`1 targetObject, Action`1 action, CancellationToken cancelToken, CallSynchronizationMode syncMode, ApartmentState apartmentState, String methodName, String filePath, Int32 lineNumber)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.MarshalOutWithCancellation[TResult](CancellationToken cancelToken, Func`3 func, ApartmentState apartmentState)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.Isolation.Remoting.LocalDesignerService.Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IDesignerService.CreateDesigner(IHostSourceItem item, IHostTextEditor editor, CancellationToken cancelToken)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.DesignTools.DesignerContract.IsolatedDesignerService.IsolatedDesignerView.CreateDesignerViewInfo(CancellationToken cancelToken)

@MethodMan, It's not because you don't know an answer that you should down vote a question. Perhaps it does not sounds anything to you but similar question were already asked and peoples found there answers. — Eric Ouellet, Dec 03 '15 at 17:13
The best answer here is that there is something severely wrong with your dialog. When the designer tries to render your XAML, it does actually create the object to try to give you the visual. That is why it is often a bad idea to put complex code in your creator method. Since the first exception is complaining of a bad image--I'd start with commenting out any images you have in your XAML until the control renders. Also, if you have code in your creator method, try commenting that out as well. — Russ, Dec 03 '15 at 18:35
@Russ, "Bad Image Format" is related to wrong process compilation, example: mismatch between x86 and x64 or x86 and ARM. Also, in XAML, when the designer run, it execute every function required to render the interface, not only the constructor. The problem seems to be related to the XCeed DataGrid which is at the heart of that form. Commenting the grid out will probably hide the issue but putting it back will also make it to re-appear. It sounds like to be related to 1 of 3: 1- dlls that are not on Win7 but are present on Win10, 2- something that I should have selected during setup, or 3- bug — Eric Ouellet, Dec 03 '15 at 19:10
I had this one time (pre update). What I wound up doing was copying the xaml, deleting the control, re-adding it, then pasting my xaml back in. For some reason it worked. — Mike_G, Dec 03 '15 at 19:11

SystemNullReferenceException in designer for a WPF project in Visual Studio 2015 Update 1

0 Answers0