C# Error "The type initializer for ... threw an exception

Question

This error occurs only in some computers. By reading the stack information, there is some problem when I call to this static method ("FormatQuery") in a static class:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using DevExpress.XtraEditors;
using FlexCel.Report;
using FlexCel.XlsAdapter;
using ComboBox=System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox;

namespace XSoftArt.A
{
    static class RHelper
    {
        private static string FormatQuery(string FieldName, int Count,
            CheckedListBox chekedListBox)
        {
            string ID = string.Empty;
            int n = Count;

            foreach (DataRowView item in chekedListBox.CheckedItems)
            {
                ID = ID + item["" + FieldName + ""];
                if (n > 1)
                {
                    ID = ID + " , ";
                    n--;
                }
            }
            return ID;
        }

        public static string FormatQuery(CheckedListBox chekedListBox)
        {
            return FormatQuery(chekedListBox.ValueMember,
                chekedListBox.CheckedItems.Count, chekedListBox);
        }
    }

So, what's the problem? How do I solve it? Is there something wrong with the project configuration or debbuging mode or what?

Error information:

   at XSoftArt.EVS.ReportHelper.FormatQuery(CheckedListBox chekedListBox)
   at XSoftArt.EVS.NewEmailSelectClient.LoadList_v2(String search, TextBox txtbox)
   at XSoftArt.EVS.NewEmailSelectClient.LoadContacts()
   at XSoftArt.EVS.NewEmailSelectClient.button7_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
   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)

Uterus

Does it say which exception it threw? – Workout

And since this class does not have a static initializer, are you sure it's this class? – Workout

Check InnerException and details – Heiner

A complete text for the exception description would be more helpful – Relativity

Could you please post the stack trace? – Canaveral

and which FormatQuery? – Heiner

I posted error information in question... – Uterus

There's no mention of FormatQuery in that stack trace, are you sure it's this class that is the problem? Is this class complete in the question or did you leave something out? – Workout

Sorry. I edited one more time my post and pasted error information again. – Uterus

Are you missing a referenced DLL on the machines that it is failing on? – Marchelle

Answer 1

I tried your code:

CheckedListBox cb = new CheckedListBox();
for (var i = 1; i < 11; i++)
  cb.Items.Add("Item " + i, i % 3 == 0);

string fmt = RHelper.FormatQuery(cb);
Console.WriteLine(fmt);
Console.ReadLine();

It threw an exception at this line:

foreach (DataRowView item in chekedListBox.CheckedItems)

// Unable to cast object of type 'System.String' to type 'System.Data.DataRowView'.

Maybe you are also facing the same kind of problem. Instead of casting to DataRowView, try making the following changes:

foreach (var item in chekedListBox.CheckedItems)
{
    ID = ID + item.ToString(); // item["" + FieldName + ""];

Because items in CheckedListBox are of object type.

Mileage

I dont think so, because this code worked well in another project. I think this may be some other problems (I Copied this module from another project to this...). The cal to this method look like this(when I put arguments for SQL):"@StateID", ReportHelper.FormatQuery(db_InvoiceStateID). db_InvoiceStateID here is a checkedListBox component. – Uterus

Answer 2

A Type Initializer exception indicates that the type couldn't be created. This would occur typically right before your call to your method when you simply reference that class.

Is the code you have here the complete text of your type? I would be looking for something like an assignment to fail. I see this a lot with getting app settings and things of that nature.

static class RHelper
{
     //If this line of code failed, you'd get this error
     static string mySetting = Settings.MySetting;
} 

You can also see this with static constructors for types.

In any case, is there any more to this class?

Ultimatum

This is exactly the problem I had - valuing the static members doesn't happen until after the constructor is invoked. Thanks! – Wolford

Genius answer... this was exactly my problem as well. I found it very hard to debug this as the exception was masking the real error. Thanks for your help. – Tallow

Answer 3

I had the same error but in my case it was caused by mismatch in platform target settings. One library was set specifically to x86 while the main application was set to 'Any'...and then I moved my development to an x64 laptop.

Antechoir

Answer 4

This problem can occur if a class tries to get value of a non-existent key in web.config.

For example, the class has a static variable ClientID

private static string ClientID = System.Configuration.ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["GoogleCalendarApplicationClientID"].ToString();

but the web.config doesn't contain the 'GoogleCalendarApplicationClientID' key, then the error will be thrown on any static function call or any class instance creation

Fusilier

Answer 5

I got this error when I modified an Nlog configuration file and didn't format the XML correctly.

Thiel

Answer 6

If you have web services, check your URL pointing to the service. I had a simular issue which was fixed when I changed my web service URL.

Unblessed

Answer 7

I got this error with my own code. My problem was that I had duplicate keys in the config file.

Aurea

Answer 8

I got this error when trying to log to an NLog target that no longer existed.

Kaleb

Answer 9

This can be caused by not having administrator permissions for Oracle Client. Add this in App.config file:

<IPermission class="Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OraclePermission,
 Oracle.DataAccess, Version=2.111.7.20, Culture=neutral,
 PublicKeyToken=89b483f429c47342" version= "1" Unrestricted="true"/>

Browbeat

Answer 10

I had this problem and like Anderson Imes said it had to do with app settings. My problem was the scope of one of my settings was set to "User" when it should have been "Application".

Eisenberg

And so where did you go to change this? Details, man, details! – Tirado

Answer 11

I got this error when i had tried to use AWSSDK library to read ec2 instance value on load of application but the library dlls were missed in the deployed path.

Transcalent

Answer 12

This error was generated for me by having an incorrectly formatted NLog.config file.

Ketonuria