sitecore media item error

Question

I am on v8.2

I see the following error in the log file:

 ERROR Could not run the 'getMediaStream' pipeline for '/sitecore/media library/test image'. 
Original media data will be used.
Exception: System.ArgumentException
Message: Empty strings are not allowed.
Parameter name: filePathOrExtension
Source: Sitecore.Kernel
   at Sitecore.Diagnostics.Assert.ArgumentNotNullOrEmpty(String argument, String argumentName)
   at Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaThumbnailGenerator.GetThumbnailFileName(MediaData mediaData, TransformationOptions options)
   at Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaThumbnailGenerator.GetStream(MediaData mediaData, TransformationOptions options)
   at Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaData.GetThumbnailStream(TransformationOptions options)
   at Sitecore.Resources.Media.ThumbnailProcessor.Process(GetMediaStreamPipelineArgs args)
   at (Object , Object[] )
   at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args)
   at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain)
   at Sitecore.Resources.Media.Media.GetStreamFromPipeline(MediaOptions options, Boolean& canBeCached)

I guess it is because of this error, the media items I attach to the branch template don't really work when I create an item in the Media Library using that branch template.

It could be related to rainbow.config, I am not sure.

Does anyone have an idea?

Answer 1

I went through stack trace you've provided.

Exception happens within

Sitecore.Resources.Media.MediaThumbnailGenerator.GetThumbnailFileName(MediaData mediaData, TransformationOptions options)

The only place where can be thrown System.ArgumentException with message 'Empty strings are not allowed.' and Parameter name: filePathOrExtension is ctor of GetFileIconPipelineArgs:

'cause:

I can assume that mediaData.Extension contains empty string. Getter of Extension property says that it uses 'Extension' field of media item.

So I suggest to check what is value of 'Extension' field of '/sitecore/media library/test image' media item. I'm sure you'll find that it's empty.

Answer 2

I have the same error and realized that the error does not appear when an English item of the same version is present. My assumption is that the pipeline looks for a wrong version, meaning that English or the default language is used.

Here are all of my observations (haven't had time to investigate further):

1. Issue appears only for versioned media items
2. Issue appears only for non-English or non-default language (TBD)
3. Issue appears when an item is selected for which no English- or Default-language version of the same value exists (e.g. when you request the item in German version 2 and there is only a version 1 in English)
4. Issue persists in Sitecore 8.2 update 5

From my observations I assume that the getMediaStream pipeline overrides the requested language which leads to an empty value in the Extension and/or File Name.

The Sitecore client seems to send the wrong language to the server when trying to render the preview element. When I look at the German version of an item the request looks like this:

<SERVER URL>/sitecore/shell/Applications/-/media/<Item ID>.ashx?bc=white&db=master&h=128&la=en&mw=640&thn=1&vs=1&ts=e73e6b27-b0db-45d7-a3c9-29830ad0191a&udi=1

Note that the requested language is English. When I change the parameter to de, the request works.

Can anyone confirm this behaviour? It looks like a Sitecore bug to me.

Answer 3

I got the same log error as well, but happened on attaching a new file (pdf) after detaching the older file. It was impossible to upload the new file, it simply wouldn't upload (got a nice asp.net error in the i-frame, with the same error as above).

I ended up deleting the media item completely and recreate it with the newer file attached, as a workaround.

Maybe a glitch, maybe a user issue... but not reproduced it yet. I'll get back on this, if I find a fix, or a how to reproduce at least.