Ninject Dependency Injection with Asp.Net MVC3 or MVC4

Question

I am using Ninject MVC3(version 3.0.0.0) for my ASP.Net MVC3 application installed using NuGet Package for Dependency Injection.

Here is the Global.asax change:

public class MvcApplication : NinjectHttpApplication
{
    public static void RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilterCollection filters)
    {
        filters.Add(new HandleErrorAttribute());
    }

    public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
    {
        routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");
        routes.IgnoreRoute("favicon.ico");
        routes.IgnoreRoute("{*favicon}", new { favicon = @"(.*/)?favicon.ico(/.*)?" });

        routes.MapRoute(
            "Default",                                              // Route name
            "{controller}/{action}/{id}",                           // URL with parameters
            new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }  // Parameter defaults
        );
    }


    protected override IKernel CreateKernel()
    {
        var kernel = new StandardKernel();
        kernel.Bind<Func<IKernel>>().ToMethod(ctx => () => new Bootstrapper().Kernel);
        kernel.Bind<IHttpModule>().To<HttpApplicationInitializationHttpModule>();
        RegisterServices(kernel);
        return kernel;
    }

    protected override void OnApplicationStarted()
    {
        base.OnApplicationStarted();

        AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
        RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Load your modules or register your services here!
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="kernel">The kernel.</param>
    private static void RegisterServices(IKernel kernel)
    {
        kernel.Bind<IUserRepository>().To<UserRepository>();
        kernel.Bind<IUserService>().To<UserService>();
        kernel.Bind<ICommonRepository>().To<CommonRepository>();
        kernel.Bind<ICommonService>().To<CommonService>();
    }
}

But it gives the following Error though i have the parameterless Constructor for my HomeController:

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

Generated: Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:49:01 GMT

System.InvalidOperationException: An error occurred when trying to create a controller of type 'MVC3.Web.Controllers.HomeController'. Make sure that the controller has a parameterless public constructor. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Ninject.Planning.Bindings.BindingConfiguration.GetProvider(IContext context) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Bindings\BindingConfiguration.cs:line 107
   at Ninject.Planning.Bindings.Binding.GetProvider(IContext context) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Bindings\Binding.cs:line 212
   at Ninject.Activation.Context.Resolve() in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Context.cs:line 157
   at Ninject.KernelBase.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Resolve>b__c(IBinding binding) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\KernelBase.cs:line 386
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.GetValue(Type service, IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 197
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.ResolveWithin(IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 165
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.GetValue(IContext context, ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 114
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.<>c__DisplayClass4.<Create>b__2(ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Buffer`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 source)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToArray[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.Create(IContext context) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at Ninject.Activation.Context.Resolve() in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Context.cs:line 157
   at Ninject.KernelBase.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Resolve>b__c(IBinding binding) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\KernelBase.cs:line 386
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.GetValue(Type service, IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 197
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.ResolveWithin(IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 165
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.GetValue(IContext context, ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 114
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.<>c__DisplayClass4.<Create>b__2(ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Buffer`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 source)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToArray[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.Create(IContext context) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at Ninject.Activation.Context.Resolve() in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Context.cs:line 157
   at Ninject.KernelBase.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Resolve>b__c(IBinding binding) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\KernelBase.cs:line 386
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.GetValue(Type service, IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 197
   at Ninject.Planning.Targets.Target`1.ResolveWithin(IContext parent) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Planning\Targets\Target.cs:line 165
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.GetValue(IContext context, ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 114
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.<>c__DisplayClass4.<Create>b__2(ITarget target) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Buffer`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 source)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToArray[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Activation.Providers.StandardProvider.Create(IContext context) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Providers\StandardProvider.cs:line 96
   at Ninject.Activation.Context.Resolve() in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\Activation\Context.cs:line 157
   at Ninject.KernelBase.<>c__DisplayClass10.<Resolve>b__c(IBinding binding) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject\src\Ninject\KernelBase.cs:line 386
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SingleOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Ninject.Web.Mvc.NinjectDependencyResolver.GetService(Type serviceType) in c:\Projects\Ninject\ninject.web.mvc\mvc3\src\Ninject.Web.Mvc\NinjectDependencyResolver.cs:line 56
   at System.Web.Mvc.DefaultControllerFactory.DefaultControllerActivator.Create(RequestContext requestContext, Type controllerType)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Web.Mvc.DefaultControllerFactory.DefaultControllerActivator.Create(RequestContext requestContext, Type controllerType)
   at System.Web.Mvc.DefaultControllerFactory.GetControllerInstance(RequestContext requestContext, Type controllerType)
   at System.Web.Mvc.DefaultControllerFactory.CreateController(RequestContext requestContext, String controllerName)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.ProcessRequestInit(HttpContextBase httpContext, IController& controller, IControllerFactory& factory)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.<>c__DisplayClass6.<BeginProcessRequest>b__2()
   at System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.<>c__DisplayClassb`1.<ProcessInApplicationTrust>b__a()
   at System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.<GetCallInAppTrustThunk>b__0(Action f)
   at System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.ProcessInApplicationTrust(Action action)
   at System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.ProcessInApplicationTrust[TResult](Func`1 func)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContextBase httpContext, AsyncCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContext httpContext, AsyncCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContext context, AsyncCallback cb, Object extraData)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously)

UPDATE:

Below is the Code from the HomeController:

public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        #region Declaration
        public ICommonService _commonService { get; set; }
        #endregion

        #region Constructor

        public HomeController()
        {

        }

        public HomeController(ICommonService commonService)
        {
            this._commonService = commonService;
        }
        #endregion

        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }

Constructor of CommonService and CommonRepository:

public class CommonService : ICommonService
    {
        #region Declaration
        private readonly ICommonRepository _repository;
        #endregion

        #region Constructor
        public CommonService(ICommonRepository repository)
        {
            this._repository = repository;
        }
        #endregion

 public class CommonRepository : ICommonRepository
    {
        #region Declaration
        private DBContainer _context = new DBContainer();
        #endregion

        #region Constructor
        public CommonRepository()
        {

        }
        #endregion

Am i missing any other Reference here?

Answer 1

This is how constructor selection in Ninject works:

1. If a constructor has an [Inject] attribute, it is used. If multiple constructors have an [Inject] attribute, Ninject will throw a NotSupportedException.
2. If no constructors have an [Inject] attribute, Ninject will select the one with the most parameters that Ninject understands how to resolve.
3. If no constructors are defined, Ninject will select the default parameterless constructor.

In your case Ninject is most probably not selecting the parameterless constructor because it believes he knows how to resolve ICommonService. Please try to decorate your parameterless constructor with [Inject] attribute if you want Ninject to use it or make further investigation why ICommonService isn't being resolved.

Answer 2

If you recently retargeted the MVC application from .NET 4.0 to 4.5 or the other way around, then you get the exact same symptom. It is fixed by referencing the correct .NET version DLLs for the target.

If you are using the Ninject, Ninject.MVC3 and Ninject.Web.Common nugets then you will find all .NET targets there.