DotNetNuke 4.4.1

Dynamic User Directory 2.0.0

Logged in as Admin or Host

 

I place a new Dynamic User Directory (DUD) module on a page. From the Module Action Menu I chose Edit Template or Manage Search and the screen blinks but nothing else happens. When I select Settings, I get the following error:

 

Error: Module is currently unavailable.
DotNetNuke.Services.Exceptions.ModuleLoadException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at DotNetNuke.Services.Exceptions.Exceptions.ProcessModuleLoadException(PortalModuleBase ctrlModule, Exception exc) at DataSprings.DNN.Modules.DynamicUserDirectory.Settings.LoadSettings() at DotNetNuke.Modules.Admin.Modules.ModuleSettingsPage.Page_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e) --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

 

Settings works well for all other modules, modules such as Dynamic Registration, etc. - and all other core modules. It's only DUD that crashes like this when attempting to select Settings, or does nothing when trying to access Edit Template or Manage Search.

 

I uninstalled DUD, restarted the application, then reinstalled DUD - but still the same error.

Brett,

Hi. This can happen if your Dynamic Registration module contains a question that includes invalid characters. We have attempted to fix this by replacing invalid characters with blank's but we are apparently missing a few and need to determine what they are. I would suggest in your case opening a support ticket on Snowcovered and once we determine the solution we can make another post here.

Let me explain further.... The Dynamic User Directory module creates a temporary table based on each Dynamic Registration question and each users response to that question. So if you have a question called 'First Name', and another called 'Last Name' it creates a temporary table with the columns of [First Name] and [Last Name]. The problem can occur whenever you have a question that might contain invalid characters. For example, the stored procedure would throw an error (and hense if you the error you are getting) if you had a field such as First Name$%. I added $% as an example but really any invalid character that couldn't be used as a table column name within Microsoft SQL Server. We have attempted to fix this and believe we have in 90% of the cases but there is apparently at least one thats missing . You might take a quick look at your questions directly and see if you see anything that looks like it could cause an issue and if not open a support ticket and we will figure out the problem.

-Chad

Hi Chad.

 

Thank you for the details. I understand the likely problem much better now. After review of the questions, the only unusual character we can find on one question is a parenthesis. Otherwise, I don't see anything strange in the questions.

 

One clarification: it's questions only we need to review, correct? I mean, we don't need to look at all the answers, too?

 

What's so strange is that, if I remember correctly (I can't configure a Dynamic User Directory instance now to check this without getting the above error), but is it not possible to hook the DUD into the core registration tables/columns, rather than the Dynamic Registration tables? I would think when I uninstalled then reinstalled DUD and placed a new DUD instance on a new page, I should be able to configure DUD to the point that I hook it into Dynamic Registration or core registration, no? Why does it error-out even when it's a totally clean DUD instance?

Chad, Since you thought that the problem we are having with Dynamic User Directory was actually an issue with Dynamic Registration, from Dynamic Registration's Action Menu, I chose to > Export Content. I then deleted the one Dynamic Registration Module we have in this portal. Then, after a Host > Restart Application for the heck of it, I placed the Dynamic Registration Module back on the page, followed by bringing our configuration back with Action Menu > Import Content.

 

With this, the Dynamic User Directory Module worked again without error. This was a workaround for a problem we never absolutely identified, but we'll keep on the lookout for - and what might have caused it. Maybe it's gone for good - let's hope. If you identify anything else that might have led to this trouble, and if a fix is made - please let us know. Thanks, Chad.

 

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Note: I would NOT recommend deleting the Dynamic Registration module as I did here, unless you have FEW or NO Dynamic Registration records with data. When I deleted my only Dynamic Registration module to workaround the problem, I only had 5 test records in my Dyn. Reg. database.

 

When I did an Dynamic Registration Export Content, I sort-of thought I might be exporting the Dyn. Reg. questions AND answers. Turns out the questions got exported, but I lost all the data - the 'content' of all my Dyn. Reg questions - the data is gone.