dotnet/wpf · error · InvalidOperationException

SR.Format(SR.Color_NullColorContext, null)

Error message

SR.Format(SR.Color_NullColorContext, null)

What it means

Color.GetNativeColorValues returns the profile-space channel values only when the color has an associated ColorContext. This InvalidOperationException is thrown when the color's context is null — i.e. the color is an sRGB color with no ICC profile, so no native color values exist.

Solutions

1. Only call GetNativeColorValues when the Color's ColorContext property is non-null
2. For sRGB colors, derive channel values from R/G/B (or ScR/ScG/ScB) instead
3. Recreate the color with Color.FromAValues/FromProfile to attach a context

Example fix

// before
 float[] vals = color.GetNativeColorValues();
// after
 float[] vals = color.ColorContext != null ? color.GetNativeColorValues() : new float[]{ color.ScR, color.ScG, color.ScB };

float[] GetValues(Color c) => c.ColorContext != null ? c.GetNativeColorValues() : new[] { c.ScR, c.ScG, c.ScB };

bool HasColorContext(Color c) => c.ColorContext != null;

try { var vals = color.GetNativeColorValues(); } catch (InvalidOperationException) { /* sRGB color: use ScR/ScG/ScB instead */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GetNativeColorValues() on a Color created via FromRgb/FromScRgb (sRGB) or default(Color), which have context == null.

Common situations: Iterating a palette that mixes sRGB colors with profile-based colors and calling GetNativeColorValues on all of them; colors round-tripped through XAML losing their context.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid state transition" errors: "status must be X, actually Y", "already rejected/charging/uninstalled", "cannot ... while running" — what they mean when a library rejects your call — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• SR.Format(SR.Color_ColorContextNotsRGB_or_scRGB, null)
• Animation_Invalid_DefaultValue
• Cannot remove signature from read-only file.
• Image_EncoderNoColorContext
• Image_EncoderNoGlobalMetadata

AI-assisted analysis of dotnet/wpf@81131a70a4 (2026-09-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a5e1b1bfab4cc9e4. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Microsoft.DotNet.Wpf/src/PresentationCore/System/Windows/Media/Color.cs:380

            sRgbColor.r = ScRgbTosRgb(scRgbColor.r);
            sRgbColor.g = ScRgbTosRgb(scRgbColor.g);
            sRgbColor.b = ScRgbTosRgb(scRgbColor.b);

            //add code to check if context is null and if not null then clamp native values
        }

        ///<summary>
        /// GetNativeColorValues - return color values from color context
        ///</summary>
        public float[] GetNativeColorValues()
        {
            if (context != null)
            {
                return (float[])nativeColorValue.Clone();
            }
            else
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException(SR.Format(SR.Color_NullColorContext, null));
            }
        }
        #endregion Public Methods

        //------------------------------------------------------
        //
        //  Public Operators
        //
        //------------------------------------------------------

        #region Public Operators
        ///<summary>
        /// Addition operator - Adds each channel of the second color to each channel of the
        /// first and returns the result
        ///</summary>
        public static Color operator +(Color color1, Color color2)
        {
            if (color1.context == null && color2.context == null)

View on GitHub (pinned to 81131a70a4)