How to crash the IDE/Compiler in 5 lines of code (BUG)

[Rarlfth Nadar]

Create a new solution, add a class...



Public Class Class1

Public Sub New()

.New() '<----- This line will blow up the IDE

End Sub



End Class





Depending on whether you have hotfixes installed, you'll get a compiler
crash (requiring you to save, exit, and reload the IDE) either immediately
after hitting ENTER at the end of the line, or after you go back up and try
to fix the bad line.



Yay! Cookie for me!



I've reported this bug to MS, this is just a heads-up, especially to anyone
who has dealt with KB 822690 or 829606

 

[Nak]

How strange, the IDE kept running for me but the combo boxes above the text
editor ceased to work.

Nick.

 

[Rarlfth Nadar]

I notice that several things quit working (whatever handles realtime syntax
checking, the combo boxes, intellisense, etc. - pretty sure it's the
compiler dll) bombs. You can still use the IDE after that as a fancy text
editor, but if you want to compile or use any of the stuff that died, you'll
have to exit and reload.

After talking with MS Support, they emailed me a couple of hotfixes, but
they didn't fix the problem. From the changes in behavior, it looks like
the hotfixes just replaced the compiler dll with one that loaded slightly
differenly (errors occurred at different times, etc) if that makes any
sense.

 

[Nak]

Hi Rarlfth,

After talking with MS Support, they emailed me a couple of hotfixes, but
they didn't fix the problem. From the changes in behavior, it looks like
the hotfixes just replaced the compiler dll with one that loaded slightly
differenly (errors occurred at different times, etc) if that makes any
sense.

LOL! This doesn't suprise me, I bet they have known about this one for
a long time, or at least you would have hoped anyway! I must admit I didn't
try it for as long as you after the crash, so I shall take your word for it.
Out of interest, what version are you using? I'm using VB.NET 2002 Standard
because I'm a cheap tight assed barstweard! (J/K). But I am using that
version anyway, I've come to accept allot of the bugs, not that I like them
of course!

By the way, how the hell did you come across this one? ;-)

Nick.

 

[Rarlfth Nadar]

I'm using 2003 Enterprise, and I came across it the hard way - slow,
painful, deduction.

I have a large solution (24 projects). I was changing one of the projects,
copying and pasting code (changed some architecture/namespaces), when the
crash happened. I had another guy helping me, and he found a KB article
which described the exact symptoms I was having, and apparently happened
mostly with large solutions. The fix was to call MS, which I did. They
sent the hotfixes email, which didn't fix the problem, so I rolled back the
project I was working on (after copying it to a different folder). I then
opened the copied project, and began cutting/pasting little by little into
my newly-rolled-back-one. I crashed a couple more times doing this, and
slowly narrowed it down to a single constructor - then I saw the error,
corrected it, pasted it in and voila!. I did this a couple of times,
alternately pasting in the "fixed" code and the "broken" code, and could
duplicate the problem. Finally I created a new project, class, and
constructor, typed in the .NEW line, and the rest is a lost day

Now, don't you wish you hadn't asked how I came across that one?

Brent

 

[Nak]

Hi Brent,

It sounds like you had a b1tch of a day/week trying to get around that
one! Typical, but at least your capable of being able to pin point that
kind of bug, most people would have exploded and cursed Microsoft into
oblivion, not that you didn't curse them of course I bet! Anyway,cheers for
sharing that one, it kind of made me laugh, but only with empathy, honestly!
And good on you for finding the problem!

I remember having a problem with the new key word ages ago, but I can't
remember exactly what it was now. Probably a derivative of "your" bug,
anyway I hope things are sorted for you now!

Nick.