ALCops.ApplicationCop.Analyzers.CaptionRequired - System.NullReferenceException error

[SKeiler]

We get in 2 repos the following error (both in app.json)

[{
"resource": "XXX/app.json",
"owner": "generated_diagnostic_collection_name#2",
"code": "AD0001",
"severity": 4,
"message": "Analyzer 'ALCops.ApplicationCop.Analyzers.CaptionRequired' threw an exception of type 'System.NullReferenceException' with message 'System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.\r\n at ALCops.Common.Extensions.SymbolInterfaceExtensions.IsObsolete(ISymbol symbol)\r\n at ALCops.Common.Extensions.AnalysisContextExtensions.IsObsolete(SymbolAnalysisContext context)\r\n at ALCops.ApplicationCop.Analyzers.CaptionRequired.CheckForMissingCaptions(SymbolAnalysisContext context)\r\n at Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.CodeAnalysis.Diagnostics.AnalyzerExecutor.<>c__DisplayClass50_2.b__0() in X:\Prod\Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.CodeAnalysis\DiagnosticAnalyzer\AnalyzerExecutor.cs:line 665\r\n at Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.CodeAnalysis.Diagnostics.AnalyzerExecutor.ExecuteAndCatchIfThrows_NoLock(DiagnosticAnalyzer analyzer, Action analyze, Nullable`1 info) in X:\Prod\Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.CodeAnalysis\DiagnosticAnalyzer\AnalyzerExecutor.cs:line 1088'",
"source": "AL",
"startLineNumber": 1,
"startColumn": 1,
"endLineNumber": 1,
"endColumn": 1,
"origin": "extHost1"
}]

[Arthurvdv]

Hi @SKeiler, thanks for reporting this.

The problem is that the NAV SDK swallows analyzer exceptions and reports them as a generic AD0001 on app.json line 1, which gives no hint about which object or line actually triggers the NullReferenceException inside CaptionRequired.

To make this diagnosable, I've shipped ALCops 1.0.0-beta.1, which includes the work from #366. With this build, an analyzer exception now surfaces as a located AC0000 Info diagnostic pointing at the actual object/line that causes the failure, instead of the opaque AD0001 on app.json.

Could you help me track this down:

1. In VS Code, open the ALCops extension settings and switch the update/release channel to beta.
2. Update ALCops to 1.0.0-beta.1.
3. Re-open the affected project(s). You should now see an AC0000 (Info) diagnostic on the specific object / line of code that triggers the exception.
4. Please share that object and, ideally, a minimal code snippet that reproduces it (the relevant table/field/object declaration is usually enough).

That snippet will let me reproduce the NullReferenceException locally and fix the root cause in CaptionRequired.

[SKeiler]

Hi @Arthurvdv,

that seems to be the error:

In the PermissionSet-File should be all objects of the project.

I thought, that empty lines in the permission file should be the problem. But the error also occurs if I delete all empty lines (and also the last line which has only a ";".

Here a short piece of the file (which also shows the error)

permissionset 5512200 "BPSFTAll"
{
    Access = Internal;
    Assignable = true;
    Caption = 'BPSFT Prognosesystem', Locked = true;

    Permissions =
         codeunit "BPSFT Calc Firmorder Session" = X,
         tabledata "BPSFT CustShopSchedule Buffer" = RIMD
         ;

}