# Description Nullable reference types are now enabled once, in `common.props`, and every project in the repository builds warning-clean with them. **Configuration** - `<Nullable>enable</Nullable>` lives in `common.props`. All per-project `<Nullable>` settings are removed: 178 project files (enable, annotations, and the `disable` in the three Aot test projects). - 419 per-file `#nullable enable`/`restore` directives and the 4 `#nullable disable` directives are removed. - Kept on purpose: - The 5 `<auto-generated>` schema files (`UANodeSet.cs`, `UA Type Dictionary.cs`, `OPCBinarySchema.cs`, `SecuredApplication.cs`, `PInvokeHelper.cs`) keep `#nullable enable`. The compiler ignores the project setting in generated code, so the directive is required there. - `tests/Opc.Ua.Interop.LegacyPeer` keeps `disable`. It builds against the 1.5.378 packages and does not import the repository props. - `docs/DeveloperGuide.md` and `.github/copilot-instructions.md` now describe the central setting. **Migration** (the 43 unset and 13 annotations-only projects, roughly 10k diagnostics) - **Production code: annotated at the declarations.** Covers `tools/Opc.Ua.SourceGeneration.Core`, `src/Opc.Ua.Lds.Server` and the LDS sample. - Members, parameters and returns are nullable where null actually flows. - Null-check helpers carry `[NotNullWhen]` (`IsNull`, `IsValidXmlName`, `IsMethodTypeDesign`). - `CoreUtils.Format`, `Utils.Format`, `ITemplateWriter.WriteLine` take `params object?[]`. `Template.AddReplacement` takes `string?` (rendering already skips null replacements). - `IRegisteredServerStore.RegisterAsync` returns `Task<RegistrationEntry?>`: it returns null when a registration is removed. - Dereferences backed by an invariant (for example, the validated model) use `!`, so runtime behaviour is unchanged. - **Behavioural changes in production code** (small, deliberate): - `NodeSetToModelDesign` throws `InvalidOperationException` when the file is not a NodeSet. Before, it threw a NullReferenceException on the next line. - `ModelDesignValidator` starts its lookup tables empty instead of null. A redundant `if (m_nodes == null) return;` guard is gone. - **Test code: minimal annotations.** - `?` on values that can be null, `!` where the test asserts non-null. - `= null!` for fixture members assigned in SetUp. - `TryGetStructure<T>(out T? x)` where the inferred `T?` broke the `IEncodeable` constraint. - A few redundant `== null` checks on structs (`NodeId`, `ArrayOf<T>`) folded into the adjacent `IsNull`/`Count` checks. **Notes for reviewers** - The diff is large (~1,500 files) but almost entirely mechanical: `?`, `!` and directive removal. The non-annotation changes are listed above. - Known follow-up, not done here: `IModelDesign.Namespaces/TargetNamespace/NamespaceUris` stay non-nullable even though the validator returns null before it loads a dictionary. Making them nullable would ripple through every generator call site. ## Related Issues - Fixes #4439 ## Checklist - [ ] I have signed the [CLA](https://opcfoundation.org/license/cla/ContributorLicenseAgreementv1.0.pdf) and read the [CONTRIBUTING](https://github.com/OPCFoundation/UA-.NETStandard/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) doc. - [ ] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works and increased code coverage. - [x] I have added all necessary documentation. - [x] I have verified that my changes do not introduce (new) build or analyzer warnings. - [ ] I ran **all** tests locally using the **UA.slnx** solution against at least .net **framework** and .net **10**, and all passed. - [ ] I fixed **all** failing and flaky tests in the CI pipelines and **all** CodeQL warnings. - [ ] I have addressed **all** PR feedback received. The "no new warnings" box covers net10.0 and net48: full non-incremental builds of `UA.slnx`, `tools/SourceGeneration.slnx`, `tools/MigrationAnalyzer.slnx` and the Aot test projects finished with 0 warnings and 0 errors under the repository's warnings-as-errors settings. net9.0 and net8.0 also had no nullable diagnostics, but they were not rebuilt after the final fixes. Tests have not been run locally yet. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) --------- Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
OPC Foundation UA .NET Standard Reference Server
Introduction
The console reference server can be configured using several console parameters. Some of these parameters are explained in more detail below.
To see all available parameters call console reference server with the parameter -h.
Historical Access
The reference server starts with an in-memory Part 11 historian. Its historized
scalar nodes expose raw, modified, at-time, aggregate, annotation, and update
operations together with populated HistoricalDataConfigurationType
companions. CTT/Historical_KeyValuePairs demonstrates generic
StructuredHistoryData with two KeyValuePair entries at one timestamp. The
CTT notifier exposes historical event read/write bits, a
HistoricalEventConfigurationType companion, and seeded event history.
Writes to the two event-trigger variables report events; live forwarding
completes before the historian snapshots them into its bounded asynchronous
capture queue.
Run the matching client workflow with:
dotnet ConsoleReferenceClient.dll --historian --autoaccept --nosecurity \
opc.tcp://localhost:62541/Quickstarts/ReferenceServer
See docs/HistoricalAccess.md for the
provider contracts, status semantics, and custom storage examples.
Reverse Connect
The OPC UA reverse connect feature allows an OPC UA server to initiate the connection to a client, rather than the traditional model where clients connect to servers. This is particularly useful in scenarios where the server is behind a firewall or NAT, making it difficult for clients to directly connect to it.
How to use Reverse Connect
To enable reverse connect mode, specify the client endpoint URL using the --rc or --reverseconnect parameter:
dotnet ConsoleReferenceServer.dll --rc=opc.tcp://localhost:65300
or
dotnet ConsoleReferenceServer.dll --reverseconnect=opc.tcp://localhost:65300
Example: Server and Client with Reverse Connect
-
Start the client with reverse connect listener on port 65300:
dotnet ConsoleReferenceClient.dll --rc=opc.tcp://localhost:65300 opc.tcp://localhost:62541/Quickstarts/ReferenceServer -
In a separate terminal, start the server with reverse connect to the client:
dotnet ConsoleReferenceServer.dll --rc=opc.tcp://localhost:65300 -a
The server will establish a reverse connection to the client endpoint, and the client will use this connection to communicate with the server.
Additional Options
-aor--autoaccept: Auto accept untrusted certificates (for testing only)-cor--console: Log to console-lor--log: Log app output-tor--timeout: Timeout in seconds to exit application
For the complete list of options, use --help.
X509 user identity certificates
The reference server validates X509 user identity tokens against its trusted-user certificate
store (TrustedUserCertificates, by default %LocalApplicationData%/OPC Foundation/pki/trustedUser).
An untrusted user certificate is rejected with BadIdentityTokenRejected — the --autoaccept option
only auto-accepts the application/channel certificate, never user identity certificates.
To let a trusted client (for example the OPC Foundation Compliance Test Tool) authenticate with an
X509 user token, its user certificate must be present in that store. To make provisioning easy, the
server writes every rejected X509 user certificate to a dedicated review store,
pki/rejectedUser (a sibling of pki/trustedUser). After one failing activation you can move the
legitimate user certificate from pki/rejectedUser/certs into pki/trustedUser/certs (and any
issuing CA into pki/issuerUser/certs) and reconnect. Deliberately-untrusted certificates simply stay
out of the trusted store and continue to be rejected.