Sharepoint2013 webpart can't load custom dll from GAC - sharepoint

Question

I'm trying to use a third party dll called ASPTokenInputLib in my sharepoint2013 webpart .
It was working for a while when I loaded it in the bin directory but when I tried to move it to the GAC it won't work and it's stopped working if I load it in the bin now as well.
The error I get is object reference not set to an instance of an object. The sharepoint logs shows
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at ASPTokenInputLib.ASPTokenInput.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
My package manifest file includes
<Assemblies>
<Assembly Location="ASPTokenInputLib.dll" DeploymentTarget="GlobalAssemblyCache" />
<Assembly Location="BidSearchWebPart.dll" DeploymentTarget="GlobalAssemblyCache">
<SafeControls>
<SafeControl Assembly="BidSearchWebPart, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=59049686a9425568" Namespace="BidSearchWebPart.VisualWebPart1" TypeName="*" />
</SafeControls>
</Assembly>
If I remove any ASPTokenInput controls in the webpart the webpart loads correctly so I don't think there's a problem finding the control in the gac (I've used process monitor and it is looking in the correct place in the GAC to find the control). For some reason though it can't load the dll.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
My ascx.cs files is
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.SharePoint;
using Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration;
using System.Web.Script.Serialization;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using ASPTokenInputLib;
namespace BidSearchWebPart.VisualWebPart1
{
[ToolboxItemAttribute(false)]
public partial class BidSearchWebPart : WebPart
{
private enum Columns
{
BidRef, BidName, Client, Area, TeamLead
}
private string TeamLeadsData, ExecLeadsData, StagesData, SectorsData, ServicesData, GradesData, CostCentresData, ClientsData, AreasData;
public BidSearchWebPart()
{
TeamLeadsData = RunSP("uspSelectTeamLeads", "TeamLead", "Name", ConnectionString());
ExecLeadsData = RunSP("uspSelectExecTechLeads", "ExecutiveTechnicalLead", "Name", ConnectionString());
StagesData = RunSP("uspSelectStages", "StageID", "StageDescSearch", ConnectionString());
SectorsData = RunSP("spSelectMarketSectors", "SectorID", "MktSector", CCDConnectionString());
ServicesData = RunSP("spSelectAllServices", "ServiceID", "Service", CCDConnectionString());
GradesData = RunSP("uspSelectGrades", "GradeID", "GradeDesc", ConnectionString());
CostCentresData = RunSP("uspSelectCostCentres", "CostCentre", "Name", ConnectionString());
ClientsData = RunSP("spSelectAllClients", "CompanyRef", "CoName", CCDConnectionString());
AreasData = RunSP("uspSelectAreas", "AreaID", "AreaName", ConnectionString());
}
protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)
{
base.OnInit(e);
InitializeControl();
}
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
List<string> ddValues = new List<string>();
if (!Page.IsPostBack)
{
ddValues.Add("Greater than");
ddValues.Add("Less than");
ddCC.DataSource = ddValues;
ddFV.DataSource = ddValues;
ddCC.DataBind();
ddFV.DataBind();
}
btnSearch.Click += btnSearch_Click;
gvSearchResults.RowDataBound += gvSearchResults_RowDataBound;
tiTeamLead.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiTeamLead.DataSet = TeamLeadsData;
tiExecTechLead.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiExecTechLead.DataSet = ExecLeadsData;
tiStage.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiStage.DataSet = StagesData;
tiSector.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiSector.DataSet = SectorsData;
tiService.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiService.DataSet = ServicesData;
tiGrade.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiGrade.DataSet = GradesData;
tiCostCentre.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiCostCentre.DataSet = CostCentresData;
tiClient.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiClient.DataSet = ClientsData;
tiArea.DataSource = ASPTokenInput.DataSourceType.DataSet;
tiArea.DataSet = AreasData;
}
void btnSearch_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(txtProjectNo.Text) && string.IsNullOrEmpty(txtProjectName.Text) && string.IsNullOrEmpty(txtClient.Text) && string.IsNullOrEmpty(txtKeyword.Text)) // Do nothing if search text boxes are blank
//{
// return;
//} else {
gvSearchResults.PageIndex = 0;
DoSearch();
//}
}
protected void gvSearchResults_PageIndexChanging(object sender, GridViewPageEventArgs e)
{
gvSearchResults.PagerTemplate = null;
gvSearchResults.PageIndex = e.NewPageIndex;
DoSearch();
}
public void DoSearch()
{
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
string where = GetWhereClause();
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(where))
{
dt = FillTable("spSelectBidSearchResults", where);
}
gvSearchResults.DataSource = dt;
gvSearchResults.PageSize = 10;
gvSearchResults.PagerTemplate = null;
gvSearchResults.DataBind();
}
private DataTable FillTable(string storedProc, string where)
{
SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(ConnectionString());
conn.Open();
SqlCommand cmdProject = new SqlCommand(storedProc, conn);
cmdProject.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
cmdProject.Parameters.AddWithValue("#whereclause", where);
SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter(cmdProject);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
da.Fill(dt);
da.Dispose();
conn.Close();
return dt;
}
private string Symbol(string ddText)
{
if (ddText.Equals("Greater than"))
{
return ">";
}
else
{
return "<";
}
}
private string GetWhereClause()
{
string where = "";
where = GetWhereForCol(txtBidName.Text, "", "BidName", "like", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(txtDescription.Text, "", "Description", "like", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiTeamLead), "", "TeamLead", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiExecTechLead), "", "ExecutiveTechnicalLead", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(txtConstructionCost.Text, ddCC.Text, "ConstructionCost", "numeric", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(txtFeeValue.Text, ddFV.Text, "FeeValue", "numeric", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiStage), "", "Stage", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiSector), "", "PrimarySector", "token", where, "SecondarySector");
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiService), "", "PrimaryService", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiGrade), "", "Grade", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiCostCentre), "", "PrimaryCostCentre", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiClient), "", "ClientRef", "token", where);
where = GetWhereForCol(GetTokens(tiArea), "", "Area", "token", where);
return where;
}
private string GetWhereForCol(string text, string ddText, string colName, string colType, string where, string otherCol = "")
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(text))
{
if (colType.Equals("like"))
{
where = AddToWhere(where, colName + " LIKE '%" + text + "%'");
}
else if (colType.Equals("numeric"))
{
string symbl = Symbol(ddText);
where = AddToWhere(where, colName + " " + symbl + " " + text);
}
else if (colType.Equals("token"))
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(otherCol))
{
where = AddToWhere(where, "(" + colName + " in (" + text + ")");
where += " OR " + otherCol + " in (" + text + "))";
}
else
{
where = AddToWhere(where, colName + " in (" + text + ")");
}
}
}
return where;
}
private string AddToWhere(string where, string clause)
{
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(clause))
{
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(where))
{
where = clause;
}
else
{
where += " AND " + clause;
}
}
return where;
}
private string GetTokens(ASPTokenInput ti)
{
StringBuilder strTokens = new StringBuilder();
List<ASPTokenInput.Item> items = ti.SelectedItems;
foreach (ASPTokenInput.Item item in items)
{
if (strTokens.Length > 0)
{
strTokens.Append(", ");
}
strTokens.AppendFormat("'{0}'", item.id);
}
return strTokens.ToString();
}
public string GetSPSingleValue(string spName, string spParamName, string spParamVal, string connectionStr)
{
try
{
SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionStr);
SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(spName, conn);
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue(spParamName, spParamVal);
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
conn.Open();
string result = cmd.ExecuteScalar().ToString();
conn.Close();
return result;
}
catch
{
return "";
}
}
void gvSearchResults_RowDataBound(object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.DataRow)
{
Label l;
DataRowView rowView = (DataRowView)e.Row.DataItem;
string bidRef = rowView["BidRef"].ToString();
string teamLeadID = rowView["TeamLead"].ToString();
string teamLeadName = GetSingleRecord("uspSelectTeamLeadByID", ConnectionString(), "#TeamLead", teamLeadID);
l = (Label)e.Row.Cells[(int)Columns.TeamLead].FindControl("lblTeamLead");
l.Text = teamLeadName;
if (siteCollectionExists(bidRef))
{
l = (Label)e.Row.Cells[(int)Columns.BidRef].FindControl("lblBidRef");
HyperLink hl = new HyperLink();
hl.NavigateUrl = "http://bidstore.gleeds.net/bids/" + bidRef;
hl.Text = bidRef;
e.Row.Cells[(int)Columns.BidRef].Controls.Add(hl);
l.Text = "";
}
}
}
//Check if site collection exists at given web application
private static bool siteCollectionExists(string bidNr)
{
bool returnVal = false;
var r = SPContext.Current.Site.WebApplication.Sites.Where(site => site.Url.Contains(bidNr));
foreach (SPSite s in r)
{
returnVal = true;
}
return returnVal;
}
public string TeamLeads()
{
return TeamLeadsData;
}
public string ExecutiveTechnicalLeads()
{
return ExecLeadsData;
}
public string Stages()
{
return StagesData;
}
public string Sectors()
{
return SectorsData;
}
public string Services()
{
return ServicesData;
}
public string Grades()
{
return GradesData;
}
public string CostCentres()
{
return CostCentresData;
}
public string Clients()
{
return ClientsData;
}
public string Areas()
{
return AreasData;
}
public string GetSingleRecord(string spName, string connectionStr, string param, string value)
{
SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection();
SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand(spName, conn);
conn = new SqlConnection(connectionStr);
command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
command.Parameters.AddWithValue(param, value);
command.Connection = conn;
conn.Open();
string result = command.ExecuteScalar().ToString();
conn.Close();
return result;
}
public string RunSP(string spName, string idCol, string nameCol, string connectionStr)
{
ArrayList data = new ArrayList();
SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection();
SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand(spName, conn);
conn = new SqlConnection(connectionStr);
command.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
command.Connection = conn;
conn.Open();
SqlDataReader dr = command.ExecuteReader();
while (dr.Read())
{
data.Add(new TokenInputRow(dr[idCol].ToString(), dr[nameCol].ToString()));
}
conn.Close();
return Serialize(data);
}
private static string Serialize(object obj)
{
JavaScriptSerializer ser = new JavaScriptSerializer();
return ser.Serialize(obj);
}
private string ConnectionString()
{
return "Data Source=10.2.40.17;Initial Catalog=BidOpening;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=GTL_BidOpening_User;Password=G#rd3n12";
}
private string CCDConnectionString()
{
return "Data Source=10.2.40.17;Initial Catalog=CCDLive;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=GTL_CCDLive_User;Password=G#rd3n";
}
}
public class TokenInputRow
{
public string id;
public string name;
public TokenInputRow(string _id, string _name)
{
id = _id;
name = _name;
}
}
}
I am able to step through the page load, but I can't step into the ASPTokenInput dll. The code fails after the page load has finished.
The ti controls are included in my .ascx file as so %# Register TagPrefix="ati" Assembly="ASPTokenInputLib" Namespace="ASPTokenInputLib" %> ati:ASPTokenInput ID="tiTeamLead" runat="server" HintText="Start typing TeamLead..." />