Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Ive done this lots of times but this time i am struggling

the error is at the part new Lists.lGrid { .......... };

public List<Lists.lGrid> theGrid(List<Lists.lFirms> lfirm, List<Lists.lCRMProgress> lprogress)
        {
            var grid = from f in lfirm
                       join p in lprogress on f.id equals p.firmid into l_f
                       from p in l_f.DefaultIfEmpty()
                       select new Lists.lGrid
                       {
                           address1 = f.address1,
                           address2 = f.address2,
                           address3 = f.address3,
                           address4 = f.address4,
                           country = f.country,
                           createddate = f.createddate,
                           email = f.email,
                           faxno = f.faxno,
                           firmid = f.id,
                           id = f.id,
                           firmsize = f.firmsize,
                           firmsizeid = f.firmsizeid,
                           isaccountancy = f.isaccountancy,
                           lastbooking = f.lastbooking,
                           lastevent = f.lastevent,
                           lasteventafterst = f.lasteventafterst,
                           logo = f.logo,
                           modifieddate = f.modifieddate,
                           monthcount = f.monthcount,
                           monthspend = f.monthspend,
                           name = f.name,
                           postcode = f.postcode,
                           programformatid = f.programformatid,
                           quartercount = f.quartercount,
                           quarterspend = f.quarterspend,
                           sector = f.sector,
                           sectorid = f.sectorid,
                           smartplanexpiry = f.smartplanexpiry,
                           spactive = f.spactive,
                           STActive = f.STActive,
                           stexpirydate = f.stexpirydate,
                           telno = f.telno,
                           totalcount = f.totalcount,
                           totalspend = f.totalspend,
                           webplanexpiry = f.webplanexpiry,
                           websiteurl = f.websiteurl,
                           wpactive = f.wpactive,
                           yearcount = f.yearcount,
                           yearspend = f.yearspend,
                           uid = p.uid,
                           crmstatus = p.crmstatus == null ? "New" : p.crmstatus,
                           crmstatusid = p.crmstatusid ,
                           crmtype = p.crmtype == null ? "" : p.crmtype,
                           crmtypeid = p.crmtypeid ,
                           reviewdate = p.reviewdate == null ? Convert.ToDateTime("2000-01-01 00:00:00") : p.reviewdate,
                           updatedate = p.updatedate == null ? Convert.ToDateTime("2000-01-01 00:00:00") : p.updatedate,
                           username = p.updatedate == null ? "None" : p.username
                       };

            return grid.ToList<Lists.lGrid>();
        }

Re: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

ArchieEric
return grid.ToList<Lists.lGrid>()

before this check for grid is not null.

Re: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

its not null, lfirm is packed with data

and it doesnt get that far

Re: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

cause of this error is empty datasource

Re: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Some selected field is null. You should probably add some more NULL checks like the ones for the reviewdate and updatedate fields.

Re: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

you performed a left join, so p can be null, thus any reference to p.??? can fail. your null handling logic is wrong. it shoudl be:

crmstatus = (p == null || p.crmstatus == null) ? "New" : p.crmstatus,

....