Scripts.Render throwing 'Object not set to an instance of an object' error

Question

I am using visual studio 2019.

I have a problem which I haven't encountered before - in view, this line (just this line) is throwing error:

@Scripts.Render("~/scripts/scriptCommon")

I've checked bundles config:

ScriptBundle scriptCommon = new ScriptBundle("~/scripts/scriptCommon");
      scriptCommon.Include("~/static/scripts/jquery-1.11.0.min.js");
      scriptCommon.Include("~/static/scripts/bootstrap.min.js");

Both files are on the file system.

This bundle is also added to bundles with:

bundles.Add(scriptCommon);

(just like all the other bundles)

I don't understand why this error? What could be the reason?

Short error message:

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

Stack Trace:

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ActivationObject.DefineField(INameDeclaration nameDecl, FunctionObject fieldValue) +20
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ActivationObject.DefineLexicalDeclarations() +92
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.BlockScope.DeclareScope() +4
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ResolutionVisitor.CreateFields(ActivationObject scope) +35
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ResolutionVisitor.CreateFields(ActivationObject scope) +77
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ResolutionVisitor.CreateFields(ActivationObject scope) +77
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ResolutionVisitor.CreateFields(ActivationObject scope) +77
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.ResolutionVisitor.Apply(AstNode node, ActivationObject scope, CodeSettings settings) +62
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.JSParser.Parse(CodeSettings settings) +972
   Microsoft.Ajax.Utilities.Minifier.MinifyJavaScript(String source, CodeSettings codeSettings) +548
   System.Web.Optimization.JsMinify.Process(BundleContext context, BundleResponse response) +92
   System.Web.Optimization.Bundle.ApplyTransforms(BundleContext context, String bundleContent, IEnumerable`1 bundleFiles) +273
   System.Web.Optimization.Bundle.GenerateBundleResponse(BundleContext context) +141
   System.Web.Optimization.Bundle.GetBundleResponse(BundleContext context) +45
   System.Web.Optimization.BundleResolver.GetBundleContents(String virtualPath) +166
   System.Web.Optimization.AssetManager.EliminateDuplicatesAndResolveUrls(IEnumerable`1 refs) +284
   System.Web.Optimization.AssetManager.DeterminePathsToRender(IEnumerable`1 assets) +761
   System.Web.Optimization.AssetManager.RenderExplicit(String tagFormat, String[] paths) +35
   System.Web.Optimization.Scripts.RenderFormat(String tagFormat, String[] paths) +107
   System.Web.Optimization.Scripts.Render(String[] paths) +21
   ASP._Page_Views_CodeBase_CodeBaseTbl_cshtml.Execute() in D:\ROOT\GIT\Franjo_dev01\Solution\fCatEve\fCatEve\Views\CodeBase\CodeBaseTbl.cshtml:9
   System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy() +198
   System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage.ExecutePageHierarchy() +105
   System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy(WebPageContext pageContext, TextWriter writer, WebPageRenderingBase startPage) +78
   System.Web.Mvc.RazorView.RenderView(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer, Object instance) +235
   System.Web.Mvc.BuildManagerCompiledView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer) +107
   System.Web.Mvc.ViewResultBase.ExecuteResult(ControllerContext context) +291
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResult(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +13
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList`1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +56
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultFilterRecursive(IList`1 filters, Int32 filterIndex, ResultExecutingContext preContext, ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionResult actionResult) +420
   System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeActionResultWithFilters(ControllerContext controllerContext, IList`1 filters, ActionResult actionResult) +52
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass2b.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1c() +173
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass21.<BeginInvokeAction>b__1e(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +100
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +10
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +49
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.AsyncControllerActionInvoker.EndInvokeAction(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +27
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.<BeginExecuteCore>b__1d(IAsyncResult asyncResult, ExecuteCoreState innerState) +13
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +29
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +49
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecuteCore(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +36
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.<BeginExecute>b__15(IAsyncResult asyncResult, Controller controller) +12
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +22
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +49
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +26
   System.Web.Mvc.Controller.System.Web.Mvc.Async.IAsyncController.EndExecute(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +10
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.<BeginProcessRequest>b__5(IAsyncResult asyncResult, ProcessRequestState innerState) +21
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncVoid`1.CallEndDelegate(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +29
   System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResultBase`1.End() +49
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +28
   System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult result) +9
   System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +9849569
   System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStepImpl(IExecutionStep step) +50
   System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +163

Answer 1

Try this, which worked in my system and project:

1. Open BundleConfig.cs. You should find it at the App_Start folder.
2. Then change the bundling for your specific script @Scripts.Render("~/scripts/scriptCommon"), from ScriptBundle scriptCommon = new ScriptBundle("~/scripts/scriptCommon"); to Bundle scriptCommon = new Bundle("~/scripts/scriptCommon");

I had a similar problem when upgrading Bootstrap from 4.5 version to 5.*

I set in public static void RegisterBundles(BundleCollection bundles) { ... } method, from:

bundles.Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/bootstrap").Include("~/Scripts/bootstrap.js"));

to:

bundles.Add(new Bundle("~/bundles/bootstrap").Include("~/Scripts/bootstrap.js"));

Change ScriptBundle into just Bundle.

---

Additional Troubleshooting

1. Be sure that after bundling the files, you add the reference to them at the bottom of the view file:

@section Scripts {
    <script src="~/Scripts/youCode.js"></script>
}

2. Double check that you're referencing correctly the routes to the actual files in your folder structure.

For example, be sure that when installing any of your libraries, your include routes are pointing to the right place.

// Wrong path
bundles.Add(new Bundle("~/bundles/bootstrap").Include("~/Scripts/randomFolderName/bootstrap.js"));
// Correct path
bundles.Add(new Bundle("~/bundles/bootstrap").Include("~/Scripts/bootstrap.js"));

3. Full working example, from one of my NET Framework 4.7.2 projects:

// C:\ ... \FolderSolution\ProjectLevel\App_Start\BundleConfig.cs
using System.Web.Optimization;

namespace MiningTracker.Web
{
    public class BundleConfig
    {
        public static void RegisterBundles(BundleCollection bundles)
        {
            #region SCRIPTS

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/jquery")
                    .Include(
                        "~/Scripts/jquery-{version}.js",
                        "~/Scripts/jquery-ui.js",
                        "~/Scripts/jquery.blockUI.js",
                        "~/Scripts/jquery.steps.js",
                        "~/Scripts/jquery.steps.min.js",
                        "~/Scripts/jquery.mask.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/datatables")
                    .Include(
                    "~/Scripts/DataTables/jquery.dataTables.min.js",
                    "~/Scripts/DataTables/dataTables.bootstrap5.min.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/jqueryval")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/jquery.validate*")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/validation/jquery_validate-messages_es.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/mvcfoolproof")
                    .Include(
                        "~/Scripts/mvcfoolproof.core.js",
                        "~/Scripts/mvcfoolproof.jquery.validation.js",
                        "~/Scripts/mvcfoolproof.msajax.validation.js",
                        "~/Scripts/mvcfoolproof.unobtrusive.js"
                        ));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/modernizr")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/modernizr-*"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/moment")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/moment.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/cropperjs")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/cropperjs/cropper.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/content/scripts")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/index.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new Bundle("~/bundles/bootstrap")
                    .Include(
                        "~/Scripts/bootstrap.bundle.js",
                        "~/Scripts/bootstrap-notify.js"));

            bundles
                .Add(new ScriptBundle("~/bundles/select2")
                    .Include("~/Scripts/select2.min.js"));

            #endregion SCRIPTS

            #region STYLES

            // FIX: It is not bundling correctly style on publishing.
            bundles
                .Add(new StyleBundle("~/content/styles")
                    .Include(
                        "~/Content/bootstrap.css",
                        "~/Content/font-awesome.min.css",
                        "~/Content/animate.css",
                        "~/Content/jquery-ui.css",
                        "~/Content/jquery.steps.css",
                        "~/Content/Datatables/css/dataTables.bootstrap5.min.css",
                        "~/Content/site.css",
                        "~/Content/cropperjs/cropper.css",
                        "~/Content/cropperjs/cropper-site.css"
                        ));

            #endregion STYLES
        }
    }
}