NullReferenceException in a three table model in Entity Framework - asp.net-mvc

Question

I'm trying to join three tables in a view model. It works with two tables but crashes when I add a third. Here are the models and the controller. The models section_detail, phone, and department were generated by Entity Framework.
EmployeeViewModel was created by copying properties from the other models. I've abbreviated some of the models shown here with:
public partial class section_detail
{
public int section_detail_id { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> parent_section_det_id { get; set; }
. . .
public string Comments { get; set; }
public string email { get; set; }
public virtual department department { get; set; }
public virtual phone phone { get; set; }
}
public partial class phone
{
[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Usage", "CA2214:DoNotCallOverridableMethodsInConstructors")]
public phone()
{
this.section_detail = new HashSet<section_detail>();
}
public int phone_id { get; set; }
public string area_code { get; set; }
public string phone_nbr { get; set; }
. . .
public string activity_code { get; set; }
public string function_code { get; set; }
[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Usage", "CA2227:CollectionPropertiesShouldBeReadOnly")]
public virtual ICollection<section_detail> section_detail { get; set; }
public virtual BudgetUnit BudgetUnit { get; set; }
}
public partial class department
{
[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Usage", "CA2214:DoNotCallOverridableMethodsInConstructors")]
public department()
{
this.section_detail = new HashSet<section_detail>();
}
public int dept_id { get; set; }
public string description { get; set; }
public string cost_center_code { get; set; }
[System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Usage", "CA2227:CollectionPropertiesShouldBeReadOnly")]
public virtual ICollection<section_detail> section_detail { get; set; }
}
public class EmployeeViewModel
{
public int section_detail_id { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> parent_section_det_id { get; set; }
public Nullable<byte> page_code { get; set; }
public string cost_center_code { get; set; }
public string print_descrip { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> phone_id { get; set; }
public Nullable<int> employee_id { get; set; }
public static explicit operator EmployeeViewModel(List<section_detail> v)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
public string first_name { get; set; }
. . .
public string Comments { get; set; }
public string email { get; set; }
public string description { get; set; }
public string area_code { get; set; }
public string phone_nbr { get; set; }
public string BU { get; set; }
}
Controller:
private vcpds_test1Entities db = new vcpds_test1Entities();
// GET: EmployeeList
public ActionResult Index()
{
List<section_detail> employeeList = db.section_detail.ToList();
List<EmployeeViewModel> employeeVMList = employeeList.Where(emp => emp.page_code == 3)
.Select(emp => new EmployeeViewModel
{
last_name = emp.last_name,
first_name = emp.first_name,
employee_id = emp.employee_id,
phone_nbr = "(" + emp.phone.area_code + ") " + emp.phone.phone_nbr.Substring(0, 3) + "-" + emp.phone.phone_nbr.Substring(3, 4),
BU = emp.phone.BU,
description = emp.department.description,
page_code = emp.page_code
}).OrderBy(emp => emp.last_name).ThenBy(emp => emp.first_name).ToList();
return View(employeeVMList);
}
I get these messages:
System.NullReferenceException: 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object.'
VCPDS2.Models.section_detail.department.get returned null.
If I comment out description = emp.department.description from the controller, then it will return data from the section_detail and phone tables. I've checked the database and the relationships seem ok. I've tried refreshing the models from the database with no change.

Answer 1

It's possible that a emp doesn't have a department so it in itself is null. Description can't be a property of a null. So, what you can simply do is check if it is null first by using null operator:
...
//description = emp.department.description,
description = emp.department?.description ?? "",
...
Basically, if department itself is null, it will stop checking right there, and the ?? shortcut is to use the statement on the right side which is "" if the statement on the left is null.
If you were not expecting an emp not to have a department, you may need to revise your query
Quick edit: You probably need to use an Include in your query so it can bring the department's properties (for description):
List<section_detail> employeeList = db.section_detail
.Include(x => x.department)
.ToList();