VS2017 MAC Xaml preview window broken

Question

Installed latest VS 2017 (Version 7.3.3 (build 5)). Open an XAML file and I get the following error in XAML preview pane:

MonoTouch.Design.Client.InvalidSessionException: Error in the application. at MonoTouch.Design.Client.ServerProcessConnection.SendRequest (MonoTouch.Design.CommandRequest req, System.Boolean throwIfNotRunning) [0x000ac] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.iOS/MonoTouch.Design.Client/Connection/ServerProcessConnection.cs:237 at MonoTouch.Design.Client.ServerProcessConnection.SendRequest[TResponse] (MonoTouch.Design.CommandRequest req, System.Boolean throwIfNotRunning) [0x00001] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.iOS/MonoTouch.Design.Client/Connection/ServerProcessConnection.cs:241 at MonoTouch.Design.Client.ServerProcessConnection.RenderXamls (MonoTouch.Design.DesignSession session, MonoTouch.Design.XamlRenderContext context) [0x0000e] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.iOS/MonoTouch.Design.Client/Connection/ServerProcessConnection.cs:175 at Xamarin.Designer.Forms.Preview.iOSXamlRenderer+<>c__DisplayClass2_0.b__0 (MonoTouch.Design.Client.ServerProcessConnection c) [0x00000] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.Forms/Xamarin.Designer.Forms.Preview/iOS/iOSXamlRenderer.cs:56 at MonoTouch.Design.Client.IPhoneDesignerSession+<>c__DisplayClass265_01[TResult].<EnsureSession>b__0 () [0x002bb] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.iOS/MonoTouch.Design.Client/IPhoneDesignerSession.cs:1919 at System.Threading.Tasks.Task1[TResult].InnerInvoke () [0x0000f] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/threading/Tasks/Future.cs:680 at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute () [0x00010] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/threading/Tasks/Task.cs:2502 --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown --- at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw () [0x0000c] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/runtime/exceptionservices/exceptionservicescommon.cs:152 at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ThrowForNonSuccess (System.Threading.Tasks.Task task) [0x00037] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/runtime/compilerservices/TaskAwaiter.cs:187 at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification (System.Threading.Tasks.Task task) [0x00028] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/runtime/compilerservices/TaskAwaiter.cs:156 at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.ValidateEnd (System.Threading.Tasks.Task task) [0x00008] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/runtime/compilerservices/TaskAwaiter.cs:128 at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter`1[TResult].GetResult () [0x00000] in /Users/builder/data/lanes/4992/mono-mac-sdk/external/bockbuild/builds/mono-x64/mcs/class/referencesource/mscorlib/system/runtime/compilerservices/TaskAwaiter.cs:357 at Xamarin.Designer.Forms.Preview.iOSXamlRenderer+d__2.MoveNext () [0x001ed] in /Users/vsts/agent/2.126.0/work/1/s/Xamarin.Designer.Forms/Xamarin.Designer.Forms.Preview/iOS/iOSXamlRenderer.cs:56

I have the following as menvironmentnt:

Visual Studio Community 2017 for Mac Version 7.3.3 (build 5) Installation UUID: a1c9c16a-1239-42c5-be68-52c55648e6e4 Runtime: Mono 5.4.1.7 (2017-06/e66d9abbb27) (64-bit) GTK+ 2.24.23 (Raleigh theme)

Package version: 504010007

NuGet Version: 4.3.1.4445

.NET Core Runtime: /usr/local/share/dotnet/dotnet Runtime Versions: 2.0.0 1.1.1 1.0.4 SDK: /usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk/2.0.0/Sdks SDK Versions: 2.0.0 1.0.3 MSBuild SDKs: /Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Versions/5.4.1/lib/mono/msbuild/15.0/bin/Sdks

Xamarin.Profiler Version: 1.6.0 Location: /Applications/Xamarin Profiler.app/Contents/MacOS/Xamarin Profiler

Xamarin.Android Version: 8.1.3.0 (Visual Studio Community) Android SDK: /Users/XXXXXXXX/Library/Developer/Xamarin/android-sdk-macosx Supported Android versions: 4.0.3 (API level 15) 4.4 (API level 19) 6.0 (API level 23) 7.0 (API level 24) 7.1 (API level 25)

SDK Tools Version: 25.2.5 SDK Platform Tools Version: 25.0.5 SDK Build Tools Version: 23.0.1

Java SDK: /usr java version "1.7.0_71" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_71-b14) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.71-b01, mixed mode)

Android Designer EPL code available here: https://github.com/xamarin/AndroidDesigner.EPL

Apple Developer Tools Xcode 9.2 (13772) Build 9C40b

Xamarin.iOS Version: 11.6.1.3 (Visual Studio Community) Hash: f70a1348 Branch: xcode9.2 Build date: 2017-12-18 14:47:16-0500

Xamarin.Mac Version: 4.0.0.215 (Visual Studio Community)

Can someone point me in the right direction to start troubshooting? I have tried reinstalling, refreshing my PCLs, and now want to roll back XCode, but prior I wanted to post to see if anyone is experience this also.

Thanks S

Answer 1

I fixed my own problem. It was a package called TK.CustomMap. I had updated to the "2.0" package which created the issues. I think it was using .NET standard vs. PCL. now its working since rolling back to 1.6.1. Something with the preview window and updated third-party packages. My advice is to update each package one at a time and check everything and not try to be an update hero and update all the packages and wonder why it stopped working!