TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'getSelection')
Closed, DuplicatePublicPRODUCTION ERROR
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	Jdlrobson-WMF
	Jan 6 2026, 5:15 AM

Description

Starting 18th December, this error began causing error alerts.
In 1.46.0-wmf.7 417,782 errors and counting and 1.46.0-wmf.5 only 49.
https://logstash.wikimedia.org/goto/7e9df7b804458543177feac91917c6d9

Not much information but this stack trace and impacting all skins:

at ve.ce.SelectionManager.updateDeactivatedSelection  https://uk.wikipedia.org/w/load.php?lang=uk&modules=ext.visualEditor.base%2Ccore%2CeditCheck%2Cmwtransclusion&skin=vector-2022&version=1lboe:667:408
at https://uk.wikipedia.org/w/load.php?lang=uk&modules=ext.visualEditor.base%2Ccore%2CeditCheck%2Cmwtransclusion&skin=vector-2022&version=1lboe:723:811

Based on volume per users seems like it occurs more than once on a single page view. Haven't tried replicating yet.

Steps to replicate the issue (include links if applicable):

What happens?:

What should have happened instead?:

Software version (on Special:Version page; skip for WMF-hosted wikis like Wikipedia):

Other information (browser name/version, screenshots, etc.):

Details

Related Changes in Gerrit:

	Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
	SelectionManager: Fix TypeError when surface is destroyed	VisualEditor/VisualEditor	master	+3 -2

Customize query in gerrit

Related Objects

Mentioned Here: T413356: On Wikimedia Commons: Uncaught TypeError: can't access property "getSelection", surface is null

Event Timeline

Jdlrobson-WMF created this task.Jan 6 2026, 5:15 AM

Restricted Application changed the subtype of this task from "Bug Report" to "Production Error". · View Herald TranscriptJan 6 2026, 5:15 AM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald Transcript

Jdlrobson-WMF updated the task description. (Show Details)Jan 6 2026, 5:16 AM

11,452 errors in last 12hrs so this meets criteria of https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Deployments/Holding_the_train
Since alerts are currently disabled because of this error I think we should fix this ASAP (ideally before new deployment roll out).

thiemowmde subscribed.Jan 6 2026, 9:06 AM

Dupe of T413356, I think?

Thanks for the link

In T413356#11481361, @DLynch wrote:

It's a production-error, but it's probably not worth an emergency backport -- it's from a setTimeout after a save has succeeded, a failed attempt to act on an already-destroyed editor surface, so it's basically log-spam that has no visible effect for a user who doesn't have debug tools turned on.

@DLynch can you confirm these are the same? If so could we backport that patch today so that the logs are clean for the next deploy (and we can see alerts during roll out)?

It does look like a duplicate, yes.

Jdlrobson-WMF closed this task as a duplicate of T413356: On Wikimedia Commons: Uncaught TypeError: can't access property "getSelection", surface is null.Jan 6 2026, 5:26 PM

Change #1223698 had a related patch set uploaded (by Aarohisharma3; author: Aarohisharma3):

[VisualEditor/VisualEditor@master] SelectionManager: Fix TypeError when surface is destroyed

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1223698

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Jan 6 2026, 5:36 PM

I submitted a patch for review:
https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/VisualEditor/VisualEditor/+/1223698

Change #1223698 abandoned by Aarohisharma3: