Initialize Component throws a null reference exception

Question

I have a menu item in a large program that opens a new window. Nothing gets passed into it, it loads a calendar, 3 empty text boxes, 3 labels, 2 buttons and an empty Crystal Report Viewer.

When its running the user clicks on the calendar and this automatically inserts the first and last dates of the selected month into 2 of the text boxes. One button loads a CR report with data from a DB, the other button prints the report.

This works fine on my system but the Initialize Component throws a null reference exception when deployed on a colleagues system. I cannot recreate the exception on my system.

Has anyone any ideas on where I should even start?

Updated

ERROR

System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at System.Windows.Baml2006.Baml2006Reader.Process_PropertyWithConverter()
   at System.Windows.Baml2006.Baml2006Reader.Process_OneBamlRecord()
   at System.Windows.Baml2006.Baml2006Reader.Process_BamlRecords()
   at System.Windows.Baml2006.Baml2006Reader.Read()
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.TransformNodes(XamlReader xamlReader, XamlObjectWriter xamlWriter, Boolean onlyLoadOneNode, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Boolean shouldPassLineNumberInfo, IXamlLineInfo xamlLineInfo, IXamlLineInfoConsumer xamlLineInfoConsumer, XamlContextStack`1 stack, IStyleConnector styleConnector)
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.Load(XamlReader xamlReader, IXamlObjectWriterFactory writerFactory, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlObjectWriterSettings settings, Uri baseUri)
   at System.Windows.Markup.WpfXamlLoader.LoadBaml(XamlReader xamlReader, Boolean skipJournaledProperties, Object rootObject, XamlAccessLevel accessLevel, Uri baseUri)
   at System.Windows.Markup.XamlReader.LoadBaml(Stream stream, ParserContext parserContext, Object parent, Boolean closeStream)
   at System.Windows.Application.LoadComponent(Object component, Uri resourceLocator)
   at KeyInScreen.RebatesReports.InitializeComponent()
   at KeyInScreen.RebatesReports..ctor()
   at KeyInScreen.Menu.FertiliserRebate_Click(Object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

XAML Code

<Window x:Class="KeyInScreen.RebatesReports"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Title="Fertiliser Rebates" WindowState="Maximized" 
    xmlns:my="clr-namespace:SAPBusinessObjects.WPF.Viewer;assembly=SAPBusinessObjects.WPF.Viewer" 
    mc:Ignorable="d" xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008" 
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" Height="700" 
    Width="1350">
<Window.Resources>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Label}">
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="14" />
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="14"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Calendar}">
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="14"/>
    </Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type TextBox}">
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="14"/>
    </Style>
</Window.Resources>

<Grid Background="#FFEFEDDF">
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <RowDefinition Height=".5*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height=".5*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="4*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="5*"/>
    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
    <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".2*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".7*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".7*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".7*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".5*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width="4*"/>
        <ColumnDefinition Width=".1*"/>
    </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
    <Calendar x:Name="cDatePicker" Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="2" Grid.RowSpan="2" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" SelectedDatesChanged="cDatePicker_SelectedDatesChanged" />
    <Label Content="Start Date:" Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="4" Margin="5"/>
    <TextBox x:Name="txtStartDate" Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="4" Margin="5" VerticalContentAlignment="Center" />
    <Label Content="End Date:" Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="5" Margin="5"/>
    <TextBox x:Name="txtEndDate" Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="5" Margin="5" VerticalContentAlignment="Center"/>
    <Label Content="Supplier Number:" Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="6" Margin="5"/>
    <TextBox x:Name="txtCustomerNumber" Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="6" Margin="5" VerticalContentAlignment="Center" TabIndex="1" />
    <Button x:Name="btnShowRport" Content="View Report" Grid.Column="1" Grid.Row="8" Margin="0,0,10,0"  Click="btnShowRport_Click" IsDefault="True" />
    <Button x:Name="btnPrintReport" Content=" Print Report" Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="8" Margin="10,0,0,0"  Click="btnPrintReport_Click" />
    <my:CrystalReportsViewer  x:Name="crReportViewer" Grid.Column="3" Grid.RowSpan="10" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" 
                              Height="656" Width="845" Margin="94,-7,62,12" ToggleSidePanel="None" Panel.ZIndex="0" Grid.ColumnSpan="3" 
                              ShowPrintButton="False" ShowRefreshButton="False" ShowSearchTextButton="False" ShowToggleSidePanelButton="True"
                              ShowToolbar="True" ShowNextPageButton="True" ShowGoToPageButton="True" ShowExportButton="False" 
                              ShowCopyButton="False" SnapsToDevicePixels="True" ShowLogo="False" ShowPrevPageButton="True" 
                              ShowStatusbar="True" />
</Grid>

Thanks

Answer 1

Little late, but when you get a null reference exception like this, it can be misleading. The inner exception may be null (was in my case.)

The way I discovered the issue was to enable first chance exceptions in VS 2010.

Goto Debug -> Exceptions then check all the boxes.

Answer 2

You need to look at the inner exception. When initialcomponent is called it can fire off other code which must be causing an exception. The inner exception should give you all the information you need. Note that it is possible that the inner exception will have an inner exception itself. Modify your app to write all these to a file or the clipboard or something.