System.NullReferenceException on document open, if the document was downloaded

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System.NullReferenceException on document open, if the document was downloaded
 
Niels Ziegler


Guest


Whenever I click on a document that is initially in protected view (or in other words, downloaded from the internet/ opened from outlook), I get the following exception:

Exception Source: MyCompany.WordAddIn
Exception Type: System.NullReferenceException
Exception Message: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Exception Target Site: WordEventManager_DocumentOpen

---- Stack Trace ----
MyCompanyWordAddIn.AddinModule.WordEventManager_DocumentOpen(sender As Object, hostObj As Object)
AddinModule.cs: line 1169, col 13, IL 0007 (0x7)
AddinExpress.MSO.ADXWordAppEvents.DoDocumentOpen(doc As Object)
MyCompany.WordAddIn.DLL: N 0017 (0x11) IL


I immediately realized it was probably my own fault, because I am accessing custom document custom properties. I do this in the open event:

private void WordEventManager_DocumentOpen(object sender, object hostObj)
{
PrepareDocumentProperties();
}

I don't want to paste all of it, but this leads to the following actions:

DocumentProperties docprops = doc.CustomDocumentProperties as DocumentProperties;
if (docprops != null)
{
string property = GetCustomDocumentProperty(doc, propertyName);

if (property == null)
{
docprops.Add(propertyName, false, type, propertyValue);
doc.Saved = false;
}
}

I had to add Debugger.break() and open a new instance of VS2013 as debugger, because it never reached my breakpoint in the first line of the document_open method. I do reach the code, when I open a non-downloaded document. Do you know if there is some sort of sandbox involved with protected documents?

The exception itself will be raised, when I try to access ActiveDocument. ActiveWindow causes a different exception ("no document is open")

I tried checking the ActiveDocument.ProtectionType (==none) and ActiveDocument.ActiveWindow.View.Type (==print view) before I access the document properties, but only removing or commenting out the code really helps, because this check immediately runs into the Activedocument == null.

How can I avoid accessing those null objects?
Posted 07 Apr, 2017 04:13:42 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18823
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Niels,

You should use the ProtectedViewWindowOpen event. There's no active document, if the only document is opened in a ProtectedViewWindow.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 07 Apr, 2017 05:52:04 Top
Niels Ziegler


Guest


I am now using the supplied object from the method parameters, this works for both cases so far. Do you see any disadvantages?

private void WordEventManager_DocumentOpen(object sender, object hostObj)
{
Word.Document doc = hostObj as Word.Document;
PrepareDocumentProperties(doc);
}
Posted 11 Apr, 2017 04:58:03 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18823
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Niels,

Does this handle protected view related scenarios? If yes, then I don't see a disadvantage.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 11 Apr, 2017 06:13:56 Top
Niels Ziegler


Guest


I have not experienced any other cases except the protected view where it would fail.
Posted 11 Apr, 2017 07:38:15 Top
Andrei Smolin


Add-in Express team


Posts: 18823
 Joined: 2006-05-11
Hello Niels,

I've created a test project that handles the DocumentOpen event as follows: 


private void adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen(object sender, object hostObj) {
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("!!! adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen. 0.");
    Word.Document doc = hostObj as Word.Document;
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("!!! adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen. 1.");
    Office.DocumentProperties docprops = doc.CustomDocumentProperties as Office.DocumentProperties;
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("!!! adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen. 2.");
    if (docprops != null) {
        string property = GetCustomDocumentProperty(docprops, "MyProperty");
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("!!! adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen. 3.");
    }
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("!!! adxWordAppEvents1_DocumentOpen. 4.");
}

private string GetCustomDocumentProperty(Office.DocumentProperties docprops, object propertyName) {
    string result = null;
    Office.DocumentProperty property = null;
    try {
        property = docprops[propertyName];
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        //skip
    }
    if (property != null) 
        result = property.Value.ToString();
    return result;
}


It works correctly. As expected, it isn't invoked when I open a document loaded from the web and you need to handle the ProtectedViewWindowOpen event in this case.


Andrei Smolin
Add-in Express Team Leader
Posted 11 Apr, 2017 10:32:42 Top