WPF converter conversion Object reference not set at design time

Question

I have an error during development in my xaml:

The object is not set to an instance of the object.

This only happens during development and works great at runtime. The error comes from my converter, the code of which is below. I thought this could be because I did not check if the value was null, or I returned null if it was null, but I changed both values, and that didn't make any difference.

And ideas are welcome. Thanks

public class CouponDataSplitterConverter : IValueConverter
{
    public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter,     CultureInfo culture)
    {
        if (value != null)
        {
            List<SelectionArea> selectionAreasList =
                new List<SelectionArea>((ObservableCollection<SelectionArea>) value);
            foreach (var area in selectionAreasList)
            {
                if (area.AreaName.Contains(parameter.ToString()))
                {
                    return area.SelectionRows;
                }
            }

            return selectionAreasList;
        }
        return "";
    }

    public object ConvertBack(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}

XAML:

ItemsSource="{Binding Coupon.SelectionAreas, 
        ConverterParameter='Test Parameter',
        Converter={StaticResource CouponDataSplitterConverter}

Stack trace:

at App.UI.Converters.CouponDataSplitterConverter.Convert(Object      value, Type targetType, Object parameter, CultureInfo culture)
at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.TransferValue(Object newValue, Boolean isASubPropertyChange)
at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.Activate(Object item)
at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.AttachToContext(AttachAttempt attempt)
at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpression.AttachOverride(DependencyObject target, DependencyProperty dp)
at System.Windows.Data.BindingExpressionBase.OnAttach(DependencyObject d, DependencyProperty dp)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.GetInstanceValue(UncommonField`1 dataField, DependencyObject container, FrameworkElement feChild, FrameworkContentElement fceChild, Int32 childIndex, DependencyProperty dp, Int32 i, EffectiveValueEntry& entry)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.GetChildValueHelper(UncommonField`1 dataField, ItemStructList`1& valueLookupList, DependencyProperty dp, DependencyObject container, FrameworkObject child, Int32 childIndex, Boolean styleLookup, EffectiveValueEntry& entry, ValueLookupType& sourceType, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.GetChildValue(UncommonField`1 dataField, DependencyObject container, Int32 childIndex, FrameworkObject child, DependencyProperty dp, FrugalStructList`1& childRecordFromChildIndex, EffectiveValueEntry& entry, ValueLookupType& sourceType, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.GetValueFromTemplatedParent(DependencyObject  container, Int32 childIndex, FrameworkObject child, DependencyProperty dp,  FrugalStructList`1& childRecordFromChildIndex, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot, EffectiveValueEntry& entry)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.ApplyTemplatedParentValue(DependencyObject container, FrameworkObject child, Int32 childIndex, FrugalStructList`1& childRecordFromChildIndex, DependencyProperty dp, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.InvalidatePropertiesOnTemplateNode(DependencyObject container, FrameworkObject child, Int32 childIndex, FrugalStructList`1& childRecordFromChildIndex, Boolean isDetach, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.InvalidatePropertiesOnTemplate(DependencyObject container, Object currentObject)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.HandleBeforeProperties(Object createdObject, DependencyObject& rootObject, DependencyObject container, FrameworkElement feContainer, INameScope nameScope)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.<>c__DisplayClass0.<LoadOptimizedTemplateContent>b__5(Object sender, XamlObjectEventArgs args)
at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.OnBeforeProperties(Object value)
at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.Logic_CreateAndAssignToParentStart(ObjectWriterContext ctx)
at System.Xaml.XamlObjectWriter.WriteStartMember(XamlMember property)
at System.Xaml.XamlWriter.WriteNode(XamlReader reader)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadTemplateXaml(XamlReader templateReader, XamlObjectWriter currentWriter)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadTemplateXaml(XamlObjectWriter objectWriter)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadOptimizedTemplateContent(DependencyObject container, IComponentConnector componentConnector, IStyleConnector styleConnector, List`1 affectedChildren, UncommonField`1 templatedNonFeChildrenField)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.LoadContent(DependencyObject container, List`1 affectedChildren)
at System.Windows.StyleHelper.ApplyTemplateContent(UncommonField`1 dataField, DependencyObject container, FrameworkElementFactory templateRoot, Int32 lastChildIndex, HybridDictionary childIndexFromChildID, FrameworkTemplate frameworkTemplate)
at System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.ApplyTemplateContent(UncommonField`1 templateDataField, FrameworkElement container)
at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.ApplyTemplate()
at System.Windows.FrameworkElement.MeasureCore(Size availableSize)
at System.Windows.UIElement.Measure(Size availableSize)
at System.Windows.ContextLayoutManager.UpdateLayout()
at System.Windows.UIElement.UpdateLayout()

Answer 1

NullReferenceException, - .

, value . foreach:

if (area.AreaName.Contains(parameter.ToString()))

NullReferenceException, AreaName ( Contains ), parameter, , ( ToString ).

, , . , , , - .

Answer 2

, null, , viewmodel (, MarkSenseCoupon). , , null.

SO , , WPF Visual Studio...