Getting "Attempt to invoke virtual method ... on a null object reference" error while capturing

[peterKaleta]

While capturing a photo on React Native 0.39.1 / Android 7
my component/app crashes with the error listed below

Code

  takePicture() {

    this.camera.capture()
    .then((data) => {

      const image = {
        uri: data.path,
        height: 640,
        width: 480
      };

      ExpenseActions.updateValues({key: 'photo', value: image});
      this.context.navigator.forward('ConfirmPhotoToExpense');
    })
    .catch(err => console.error(err));
  }

...
 render() {

    const cameraIconSize = 22;
    const cameraIconName = 'camera';

    return (
      <View style={cameraStyles.container}>
        <Camera
          ref={(cam) => {this.camera = cam;}}
          style={cameraStyles.preview}
          captureTarget={Camera.constants.CaptureTarget.temp}
          orientation="portrait">

          <View style={cameraStyles.capture}>
            <View style={[styles.icon, cameraStyles.cameraIcon]}>
              <Icon
                name={cameraIconName}
                color={WHITE} size={cameraIconSize}
                onPress={() => this.takePicture()}
              />
            </View>
          </View>
        </Camera>
        <View style={cameraStyles.photoGrid}>
          {this.state.photos.map(this.renderImage)}
        </View>
      </View>
    );
  }

Error

Throws this beauty

/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
                                                                  Process: com.awesomeproject, PID: 2962
                                                                  java.lang.NullPointerException: Attempt to invoke virtual method 'boolean com.drew.metadata.Directory.containsTag(int)' on a null object reference
                                                                      at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule.fixOrientation(RCTCameraModule.java:576)
                                                                      at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule.access$300(RCTCameraModule.java:45)
                                                                      at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule$3.onPictureTaken(RCTCameraModule.java:668)
                                                                      at android.hardware.Camera$EventHandler.handleMessage(Camera.java:1092)
                                                                      at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
                                                                      at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:154)
                                                                      at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6119)
                                                                      at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
                                                                      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:886)
                                                                      at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:776)
12-18 18:34:08.874 1563-1902/system_process W/ActivityManager:   Force finishing activity com.awesomeproject/.MainActivity
Chat Conversation End

[amanthegreatone]

Update: The issue does not come when running on real device.

Same issue with me when running on genymotion. Making dummy apps for component functionality before starting building the main app.

Code:

/**

• Sample React Native App
• https://github.com/facebook/react-native
• @flow
  */

import React, { Component } from 'react';
import {
StyleSheet,
Text,
View
} from 'react-native';

import Camera from 'react-native-camera';
import SimpleButton from './SimpleButton';

export default class CameraScreen extends Component {

_takePicture () {
this.refs.camera.capture( (err, data) => {
if (err) return;
this.props.onPicture(data);
});
}

takePicture() {
this.camera.capture()
.then( (data) => {console.log(data); this.props.onPicture(data); } )
.catch(err => console.error(err));
}

render() {
return(
<Camera
captureTarget={Camera.constants.CaptureTarget.disk}
//ref="cam"
ref={(cam) => {
this.camera = cam;
}}
style={styles.container}
aspect={Camera.constants.Aspect.fill}
orientation="portrait"
>




);
}

}

var styles = StyleSheet.create({
container: {
flex: 1,
marginTop: 64
},
cameraButtonContainer: {
position: 'absolute',
bottom: 20,
left: 20,
right: 20
},
cameraButton: {
backgroundColor: '#5B29C1',
borderRadius: 4,
paddingHorizontal: 20,
paddingVertical: 15
},
cameraButtonText: {
color: 'white',
textAlign: 'center'
}
});

Here is the error log:

2-27 14:17:19.631 11788-11788/com.reactnotes E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule.fixOrientation(RCTCameraModule.java:576)
at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule.access$300(RCTCameraModule.java:45)
at com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraModule$3.onPictureTaken(RCTCameraModule.java:668)
at android.hardware.Camera$EventHandler.handleMessage(Camera.java:734)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

[wardnath]

+1 getting the exact same issue with the Example on master

[wardnath]

so I did a factory reset on simulator then ran the example from master again, I got an issue with capture but this time the error was related to libwvm.so not being found. I set the parameter playSoundOnCapture to false. The Example project is now working when I have a fresh copy of master.

EDIT: still getting the same error even when setting this property on a different project that uses react native camera

[wardnath]

looks like this issue might be related: #530

[swaroopa94]

Hi,
I got the same issue in the real device as well
Can you Please tell me how to solve this as it is urgent

[didiercapozzi]

I have the same error, RN0.47.2 Camera 0.10.0

[gustaver]

Got the same issue on real device as well. RN 0.40. The reason I'm getting it is because I'm automatically calling this.camera.capture() when the Camera mounts, and on Android this causes a crash. Would really appreciate some workaround or way to fix this.

[ospfranco]

Hey! this repository was recently transferred to the react-native-community, as part of our ongoing cleaning process we are closing old tickets (there is just too many of them!), please feel free to try the latest versions or the master branch to see if your problem has been solved.

If you are still experiencing this problem feel free to re-open this or fill a new ticket.

[tsubery]

I saw the same error on latest stable release 0.12.

java.lang.NullPointerExceptionNavigationActivity
Attempt to invoke virtual method 'android.hardware.Camera$Parameters android.hardware.Camera.getParameters()' on a null object reference

this is the top of the stack trace:

RCTCameraViewFinder.java:363com.lwansbrough.RCTCamera.RCTCameraViewFinder.onTouchEvent
View.java:9993 android.view.View.dispatchTouchEvent	
ViewGroup.java:2839 android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchTransformedTouchEvent	
ViewGroup.java:2456 android.view.ViewGroup.dispatchTouchEvent

Anyone have clues about the cause, solution or possible workaround?
Thanks!

[sibelius]

for some weird reason

the null check is not working well here

https://github.com/react-native-community/react-native-camera/blob/a4ad0446cad244b2f79384bb7e22730062efe17e/android/src/main/java/com/lwansbrough/RCTCamera/RCTCameraViewFinder.java#L396

[tsubery]

This null check was introduced after the latest stable release.
I'll just branch off 0.12 for now.
Thanks!
Edit: My bad, didn't notice 0.13 is out. It should be fixed on that version.