Ok I will try to give an abbreviated story of where I'm at and what I need.



For several months now I have been successfully developing using DevExpress suite 8.1 and StrataFrame 1.6.5. I have recompiled the SF libraries to support a BaseForm_wDXRibbon and StandardForm_wDXRibbon, using instructions posted elsewhere on the forum. I am able to successfully create forms using SF BOs and DevExpress controls. No problems here.



Today I tried to create a maintenance form that inherits from the StandardForm_wDXRibbon, now I get the following exception:



NullReferenceException

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.



Source : MicroFour StrataFrame UI



Stack Trace:

at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.MaintenanceFormToolStrip.HandleEditingStateChanged(EditingStateChangedEventArgs e)

at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.MaintenanceFormToolStrip.InitializeObject()

at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BaseForm_wDXRibbon.InitializeFormLoadObjects()

at MicroFour.StrataFrame.UI.Windows.Forms.BaseForm_wDXRibbon.OnLoad(EventArgs e)

at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnCreateControl()

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)

at DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm.WndProc(Message& msg)

at DevExpress.XtraBars.Ribbon.RibbonForm.WndProc(Message& msg)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.OnMessage(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativewindow.WndProc(Message& m)

at System.Windows.Forms.Nativewindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)



If I step through the code the primary BO never has it's parent form loading event called, and I cannot capture this exception it always goes to the main SF unhandled exception function. If I remove the Maintenance Tool strip everything works fine (except now I need to create all the add, save, and navigate buttons) and the business object populates.



I'm really at a loss of how to resolve this, I double checked for rogue, outdated libraries, that all the source code between the SF forms and the with DX Ribbon forms are identical (except the class that they inherit from). I also get the same error if I click on any of the buttons on the tool strip, which leads me to believe the invalid reference is to the primary business object on the form.



You can repeat this behavior by creating a new standard SF form, then go to the designer code and change the inherits statement to StandardForm_wDXRibbon, then add a maintenance tool strip and any Business Object. After removing the tool strip the invalid reference exception will go away.



Thanks a many,



Jason

Jason Seidell

Programmer/Analyst

Infinedi