Unexpected NullReferenceException when accessing ViewModel properties in ASP.NET Core MVC
I'm sure I'm missing something obvious here, but Quick question that's been bugging me - I've been struggling with this for a few days now and could really use some help. I'm encountering a `NullReferenceException` when trying to access properties of my ViewModel in an ASP.NET Core MVC application. Here is a simplified version of my setup: I have a ViewModel like this: ```csharp public class MyViewModel { public string Name { get; set; } public List<string> Items { get; set; } } ``` In my controller, I initialize the ViewModel as follows: ```csharp public class HomeController : Controller { public IActionResult Index() { var model = new MyViewModel { Name = "Sample Name", Items = new List<string>() }; return View(model); } } ``` However, in my Razor view, I try to access `model.Items` to iterate over the list: ```razor @model MyViewModel <h1>@Model.Name</h1> <ul> @foreach (var item in Model.Items) { <li>@item</li> } </ul> ``` This results in a `NullReferenceException` at runtime, specifically on the line where I try to iterate over `Model.Items`. I've confirmed that the `Items` property is initialized in the controller, and I've also checked that the view is receiving the correct model type. I have tried adding a null check in the view like so: ```razor @if (Model.Items != null) { <ul> @foreach (var item in Model.Items) { <li>@item</li> } </ul> } else { <p>No items available.</p> } ``` This prevents the exception, but I still want to understand why it was happening in the first place. Is there something I am missing regarding the lifecycle of the ViewModel or the way the MVC framework handles model binding? Also, could this behavior be related to any specific version of ASP.NET Core that I should be aware of? I am currently using ASP.NET Core 6.0. Any insights would be greatly appreciated! This is my first time working with C# 3.9. Thanks for your help in advance!