null reference exception in function

[pinman]

hi i'm recieveing something called a null reference exception whenever i try to run my code. i am testing for a null value and if it is null i carry out some action, if false i recursively call the same function using the next EVENT array of my custom event class using a basic if, else statement. instead of testing for != null i have also tried testing for == null but get the same response. code is below, also the function is supposed to return an array of long's (returnid's) using recursion. will this work??? thanks.

public long[] getchildeventid s(Event[] ukracelist)
{
long[] returnids = null;
if (ukracelist[0].Events != null)
{
getchildeventid s(ukracelist[0].Events);
}
else
{
returnids[0] = ukracelist[0].EventId;
return returnids;
}
return returnids;
}

[Bassem]

You've to problems, I can see :
1- Your function should accept Event array, but you send an Event instead.

public long[] getchildeventid s(Event[] ukracelist)

getchildeventid s(ukracelist[0].Events);

2- The long array returnids is not initialized, it still null. You've to initialize it.

long[] returnids = null;

returnids[0] = ukracelist[0].EventId;

Thanks,
Bassem

[pinman]

ok my second bite of the cherry using a simple boolean function still gives me a unhandled nullexception from "returnids[counter] = i.EventId;" if someone could give me some pointers that would be great. hopefully this one has more chance of returning an actual value in the array than my $%^& poor attempt before lol. thanks in advance.

public long[] getchildeventid s(Event[] uklist, int counter)
{

long[] returnids = null;
foreach (Event i in uklist)
{

if (bottomnode(i))
{
returnids[counter] = i.EventId;
counter++;
return returnids;
}
else
{
getchildeventid s(i.Events, counter);
}
}

return returnids;
}

public bool bottomnode(Even t test)
{
if (test.Events == null)
return true;
else
return false;

}

[Bassem]

You tried to fix the first problem, what about the second one?
Initialize your array first!

int [] a = new int [5];

<<Edited>>
You can use List for unknown array's length.

[r035198x]

As if by magic, there exists a whole article dealing with just that exception. What are the odds?

[Bassem]

This is very helpful article. The first thing I tried to do is to post a link for this article but I couldn't find it. I already read it before and helped me much. It is an excellent article.

Thanks a lot,

[pinman]

Thanks for the replies. finally figured out the problem with null reference. i haven't had chance till now to look back at this. but finally realised i needed a dynamic collection which cries out for arraylist and my recursive call to the function was all wrong as each time the method was called a new array/arraylist was created which overwrote the data. it now works with code below. does it seem robust or could there be problems if i use this code? also could someone tell me how to use a new declaration inside a function call e.g.
getchilevents(n ewevents, (arraylist p = new arraylist());
thanks.

public ArrayList getchildeventid s(Event[] uklist, ArrayList ids)
{
foreach (Event i in uklist)
{
if (i.Events == null)
{
ids.Add(i.Event Id);
}
else
{
getchildeventid s(i.Events, ids);
}
}
return ids;
}

[Bassem]

also could someone tell me how to use a new declaration inside a function call e.g.
getchilevents(n ewevents, (arraylist p = new arraylist());

I think it depends, if you'll not use p again inside the method you declared it in, you can do this

getchilevents(newevents, new arraylist());

But if you'll use it again, declare it first then pass it to the method you call.

Regards,
Bassem