dotnet/wpf · error · ArgumentException

SR.CollectionView_ViewTypeInsufficient

Error message

SR.CollectionView_ViewTypeInsufficient

What it means

ViewManager throws this ArgumentException when it tries to instantiate the requested collectionViewType with Activator.CreateInstance and the type has no public constructor taking the collection (MissingMethodException). A usable ICollectionView must be constructible from a single collection argument.

Solutions

1. Add a public constructor to the custom view type that accepts the collection: public MyView(IEnumerable list)
2. Pass a view type whose constructor matches the collection (e.g. ListCollectionView for IList)
3. If the collection is not IList, derive from CollectionView and ensure the ctor signature matches
4. Fall back to the default view by not specifying collectionViewType

Example fix

// before
public class MyView { public MyView(object[] items) {} }
// after
public class MyView : CollectionView { public MyView(IList list) : base(list) {} }

var ctor = collectionViewType.GetConstructor(new[]{ collection.GetType() }) ?? collectionViewType.GetConstructor(new[]{ typeof(object) }); if (ctor == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("View type has no compatible ctor");

static bool IsConstructibleView(Type v, object col) => v.GetConstructor(new[]{ col.GetType() }) != null || v.GetConstructor(new[]{ typeof(object) }) != null;

try { icv = CreateView(viewType, col); } catch (ArgumentException ex) { icv = new ListCollectionView((IList)col); }

When it happens

Trigger: Registering/obtaining a view with a custom collectionViewType whose constructor does not accept the collection (wrong signature, no public ctor, or ctor parameter type incompatible with the actual collection instance).

Common situations: Custom CollectionView subclasses with extra constructor parameters; view types designed for a different collection type; refactors that changed the collection type without updating the view type.

Related errors

• SR.ListView_MissingParameterlessConstructor
• ArgumentNullException
• ArgumentNullException(nameof(assemblyNames))
• ArgumentNullException(nameof(contentType))
• ArgumentNullException(nameof(loaderType))

AI-assisted analysis of dotnet/wpf@81131a70a4 (2026-09-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8b7054abe41c7795. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Microsoft.DotNet.Wpf/src/PresentationFramework/MS/Internal/Data/ViewManager.cs:592

            }
            else
            {
                // caller specified a type for the view.  Try to honor it.
                if (!typeof(ICollectionView).IsAssignableFrom(collectionViewType))
                    throw new ArgumentException(SR.Format(SR.CollectionView_WrongType, collectionViewType.Name));

                // if collection is IListSource, get its list first (bug 1023903)
                object arg = ilsList ?? collection;

                try
                {
                    icv = Activator.CreateInstance(collectionViewType,
                                    System.Reflection.BindingFlags.CreateInstance, null,
                                    new object[1] { arg }, null) as ICollectionView;
                }
                catch (MissingMethodException e)
                {
                    throw new ArgumentException(SR.Format(SR.CollectionView_ViewTypeInsufficient,
                                    collectionViewType.Name, collection.GetType()), e);
                }
            }

            // if we got a view, add it to the tables
            if (icv != null)
            {
                // if the view doesn't derive from CollectionView, create a proxy that does
                CollectionView cv = icv as CollectionView;
                if (cv == null)
                    cv = new CollectionViewProxy(icv);

                if (ilsList != null)    // IListSource's list shares the same view
                    viewRecord = CacheView(ilsList, cvs, cv, null);

                viewRecord = CacheView(collection, cvs, cv, viewRecord);

                // raise the event for a new view

View on GitHub (pinned to 81131a70a4)