[RESOLVED] LINQ null return issue

[Seraph]

I'm having trouble figuring out what to do with the bolded part, when there are no nodes to return.
If there are no image tags inside the <images> tag, i get an "Object reference is not set to an instance of an object".
I have been searching and searching for an answer but can't find one.

            Dim orders = From o In xmlLinq.Descendants("order")
            Select New With { _
                .orderID = o.Attribute("id").Value, _
                .userID = o.Element("user").Element("userid").Value, _
                .firstname = o.Element("user").Element("firstname").Value, _
                .lastname = o.Element("user").Element("lastname").Value, _
                .username = o.Element("user").Element("username").Value, _
                .password = o.Element("user").Element("password").Value, _
                .address_1 = o.Element("user").Element("address_1").Value, _
                .address_2 = o.Element("user").Element("address_2").Value, _
                .city = o.Element("user").Element("city").Value, _
                .state = o.Element("user").Element("state").Value, _
                .postal = o.Element("user").Element("postal").Value, _
                .email = o.Element("user").Element("email").Value, _
                .phone = o.Element("user").Element("phone").Value, _
                Key .ads = From a In o.Descendants("ad")
                           Where a.Attribute("type").Value = "Web"
                            Select New With { _
                                .type = a.Attribute("type").Value, _
                                .headline = a.Element("text").Element("headline").Value, _
                                .body = a.Element("text").Element("body").Value, _
                                .run_length = a.Element("regions").Element("region").Element("schedule").Attribute("run_length").Value, _
                                .start_date = a.Element("regions").Element("region").Element("schedule").Attribute("start_date").Value, _
                                Key .images = From i In a.Descendants("images")
                                              Select New With { _
                                                  .image = i.Element("image").Value _
                                              }
                            }
            }

[jmcilhinney]

Something like:

.image = If(i.Element("image") Is Nothing, CObj(Nothing), i.Element("image").Value)

The CObj may or may not work. If not then you'll have to cast the null reference as the appropriate type.

[Seraph]

Cool, thanks...that worked perfect. I had thought about an If, but I wasn't sure what would go in the TRUE portion of it.