initForReadingWithData, nil and outlets don't get set

FROM : Michael Hanna
DATE : Tue Apr 19 17:14:23 2005

hello, when my action method gets called the first time, I get

*** -initForReadingWithData: nil argument
   
- (IBAction)openPreferencesMenuAction:(id)sender
{
   if(!preferencesController)
   {
       preferencesController = [[TaoPreferencesController alloc] init];
       
   }
   [preferencesController showWindow:self];
   
}

with NSLog statements, it turns out I get the exception at:

[preferencesController showWindow:self];

a subsequent attempt and the error does not appear and the action
'takes'(the preferences window opens).

Also, in my NSWindowController subclass, TaoPreferencesController, it
seems that my -windowDidLoad method is being called, but my outlets do
not get set at all.

for instance, I have a NSPopUpButton *mTabSitePopUp, in my
-windowDidLoad I have:

   [mTabSitePopUp removeAllItems];
   [mTabSitePopUp addItemsWithTitles:[NSArray
arrayWithObjects:@"mxtabs.net", nil]];
   [mTabSitePopUp selectItemWithTitle:[defaults
objectForKey:TAOPrefsTabsiteKey]];
   
but the pop-up is not changed at all!

any idea what this could be?
Michael