Upgraded MVC 2 to MVC3 gets Model binder exception - asp.net-mvc-3

Question

After upgrade I get this error for some of the views.
Value cannot be null. Parameter name: value
Stack trace
[ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: value]
System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.ValidationContext.set_DisplayName(String value) +51903
System.Web.Mvc.<Validate>d__1.MoveNext() +135
System.Web.Mvc.<Validate>d__5.MoveNext() +318
System.Web.Mvc.DefaultModelBinder.OnModelUpdated(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext) +139
System.Web.Mvc.DefaultModelBinder.BindComplexElementalModel(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext, Object model) +66
System.Web.Mvc.DefaultModelBinder.BindComplexModel(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext) +1367
System.Web.Mvc.DefaultModelBinder.BindModel(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext) +449
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.GetParameterValue(ControllerContext controllerContext, ParameterDescriptor parameterDescriptor) +317
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.GetParameterValues(ControllerContext controllerContext, ActionDescriptor actionDescriptor) +117
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerActionInvoker.InvokeAction(ControllerContext controllerContext, String actionName) +343
System.Web.Mvc.Controller.ExecuteCore() +116
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +97
System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase.System.Web.Mvc.IController.Execute(RequestContext requestContext) +10
System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClassb.<BeginProcessRequest>b__5() +37
System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass1.<MakeVoidDelegate>b__0() +21
System.Web.Mvc.Async.<>c__DisplayClass8`1.<BeginSynchronous>b__7(IAsyncResult _) +12
System.Web.Mvc.Async.WrappedAsyncResult`1.End() +62
System.Web.Mvc.<>c__DisplayClasse.<EndProcessRequest>b__d() +50
System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.<GetCallInAppTrustThunk>b__0(Action f) +7
System.Web.Mvc.SecurityUtil.ProcessInApplicationTrust(Action action) +22
System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult asyncResult) +60
System.Web.Mvc.MvcHandler.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.EndProcessRequest(IAsyncResult result) +9
System.Web.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute() +8920029
System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +184
Any one have any idea that the problem can be?
edit:
Found the problem,
[RequiredRequestedOnSiteDate]
[DisplayName("")]
public Date RequestedOnSiteDate { get; set; }
In MVC2 this works, we dont want a displayname for this textbox since the name is presented in a header. How can I have no displayname without error? Thanks

Answer 1

At a guess...
Rather than using [Required] on the DisplayName attribute of your model, there's a trap inside the setter that's throwing an exception on a null value and the binder is attempting to set the property to null because that's what's coming in from the form.
Give us the Model code (and maybe controller action method) so that we can get a better idea.

Answer 2

You just have to remove the #Html.DisplayFor(m => m.RequestOnSiteDate) from your code and you'll never see the name.

Answer 3

Anders,
Here it is a couple years later and I'm having the exact same error in MVC4.
[DisplayName("")]
public NexEnum.Veteran Veteran { get; set; }
Did you ever resolve it?
I resolved it by this:
[DisplayName(" ")]
public NexEnum.Veteran Veteran { get; set; }