Event Receiver Feature activation failed with SQL insert error

This gave me a good headache !

Do you see anything wrong here in this Elements.xml...
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Receivers ListTemplateId="15008">
    <Receiver>
      <Name>ExampleAItemAdding</Name>
      <Type>ItemAdding</Type>
      <SequenceNumber>10000</SequenceNumber>
      <Assembly>DemoA.EventHandlers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=2b7e66595434a588</Assembly>
      <Class>DemoA.EventHandlers.ExampleA</Class>
    </Receiver>
    <!--<Receiver>
      <Name>ExampleAItemDeleting</Name>
      <Type>ItemDeleting</Type>
      <SequenceNumber>10000</SequenceNumber>
      <Assembly>DemoA.EventHandlers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=2b7e66595434a588</Assembly>
      <Class>DemoA.EventHandlers.ExampleA</Class>
    </Receiver>-->
  </Receivers>
  <Receivers ListTemplateId="15010">
    <Receiver>
      <Name>ExampleBItemAdding</Name>
      <Type>ItemAdding</Type>
      <SequenceNumber>10000</SequenceNumber>
      <Assembly>DemoB.EventHandlers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=2b7e66595434a588</Assembly>
      <Class>DemoB.EventHandlers.ExampleB</Class>
    </Receiver>
    <Receiver>
      <Name>ExampleBItemDeleting</Name>
      <Type>ItemDeleting</Type>
      <SequenceNumber>10000</SequenceNumber>
      <Assembly>DemoB.EventHandlers, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=2b7e66595434a588</Assembly>
      <Class>DemoB.EventHandlers.ExampleB</Class>
    </Receiver>
  </Receivers>
</Elements>
...that would explain this error message on feature activation?
Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'Name', table 'WSS_Content.dbo.EventReceivers'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails. 
The statement has been terminated.   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Run(RunBehavior runBehavior, SqlCommand cmdHandler, SqlDataReader dataStream, BulkCopySimpleResultSet bulkCopyHandler, TdsParserStateObject stateObj) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.RunExecuteNonQueryTds(String methodName, Boolean async) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.InternalExecuteNonQuery(DbAsyncResult result, String methodName, Boolean sendToPipe) 
   at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteNonQuery() 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SqlSession.ExecuteNonQuery(SqlCommand command) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPElementDefinitionCollection.ProvisionContentTypeAndEventReceiverBindings(SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPSite site, SPWeb web, Boolean fForce) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPElementDefinitionCollection.ProvisionElements(SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPWebApplication webapp, SPSite site, SPWeb web, Boolean fForce) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeature.ProvisionElements(SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, SPWebApplication webapp, SPSite site, SPWeb web, Boolean fForce) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeature.Activate(SPSite siteParent, SPWeb webParent, SPFeaturePropertyCollection props, Boolean fForce) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureCollection.AddInternal(Guid featureId, SPFeaturePropertyCollection properties, Boolean force, Boolean fMarkOnly) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPFeatureCollection.Add(Guid featureId) 
   at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.FeatureActivator.BtnActivateFeature_Click(Object objSender, EventArgs evtargs) 
   at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e) 
   at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) 
   at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) 
   at System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) 
   at System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) 
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)

Here is the corresponding log :
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'Name', table 'WSS_Content.dbo.EventReceivers'; column does not allow nulls. INSERT fails. The statement has been terminated.
My first reaction: "£§#%& SQL exception ???"
In fact the problem has nothing to do with SQL:
SharePoint will for a very (dark) mystical reason try to parse the comments, remove the comments from the Elements.xml and it works (again) :) Thanks to Bjørn Furuknap for his post.

Comments

Henrik Binggl said…
I wonder how they parse the XML - manually I suppose ;)
Unknown said…
Even more mysterious is when you get this error with no comments at all!