Getting unhandled Exception: System.ArgumentNullException

Question

I am getting below exception while running the console application: I am facing a build issue (in release mode) and on Jenkins server which is running on a remote machine. I am dealing with command line arguments and I thnk the error cause means that when exe is run no arguments are passed.

    unhandled Exception: System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: path
   at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor(String path, Boolean append, Encoding encoding, Int32 bufferSize, Boolean checkHost)
   at System.IO.StreamWriter..ctor(String path, Boolean append)
   at VstoManifestGenerator.Program.WriteOutput(String entry, Object[] args) in C:\Dev\Client\VstoManifestGenerator\VstoManifestGenerator\Program.cs:line 318
   at VstoManifestGenerator.Program.Main(String[] args) in C:\Dev\Client\VstoManifestGenerator\VstoManifestGenerator\Program.cs:line 164

Below is my command line argument:

C:\Dev\Client\AddIns\Office\Word2010AddIn\bin\XTS.Office.AddIn.Word.dll Debug amd64

I don't have this issue on the local dev machine in debug configuration, I didn't figure out what causing this issue.

Can anyone here help me to solve it.

Thank you.

Answer 1

The stacktrace hints that _outputfile has not yet been set, when WriteOutput is called.

Make sure you initialize it before any call to WriteOutput is made.

Mind:

string dependency;

try{

    // exception thrown HERE

    dependency = "somepath"; // <= Will not be executed
}
catch
{
    CallToMethodDependingOnDependency(); // <= Will throw again
}

At first glance this looks like the call is after dependency is set but the exception jumps the initialization.