I have been staring at this code and I cannot see what is wrong with it.
I am getting a NullReferenceException when trying to pass a value struct
to a method.  This exception only happens in Release mode; Debug mode
runs fine.  When I use the Debugger on Release mode, the debugger shows
valid values for "contour", but I still get this exception.  If anybody
has any input at all, it would be much appreciated.

---------------------------
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

  at FSBSGui2.ControlPanel.write_contours_file(Contours& contours)

  at FSBSGui2.ControlPanel.button_run_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
---------------------------

System::Void button_run_Click(System::Object *  sender, System::EventArgs *  e)
{
   using System::Text::StringBuilder;
   using System::Threading::Thread;
   using System::Threading::ThreadStart;
   using System::Windows::Forms::Button;
   using System::Windows::Forms::DialogResult;
   using System::Windows::Forms::MessageBox;
   using System::Windows::Forms::MessageBoxButtons;
   using System::Windows::Forms::MessageBoxIcon;

   Button* button = __try_cast<Button*>(sender);
   if (button->Text->Equals(S"&Cancel")) {
       button_cancel_Click(sender, e);
       return;
   }

   fill_FSBSParameters();
   ContoursDialog::Contours contours;    // HERE I INSTANTIATE
   switch (run_type) {
   case Xmtr_Avl:
       contours = xmtr_avail_contours;
       break;
   case Fer:
       contours = fer_contours;
       break;
   case Pcmr:
       contours = pcmr_contours;
       break;
   default:
       break;
   }

   VerificationDialog* vd = new VerificationDialog(*params, contours);
   if (vd->ShowDialog() == DialogResult::OK) {
       try {
           write_contours_file(contours);    // HERE I CALL
       }
       catch (System::NullReferenceException* e) {
           System::Windows::Forms::MessageBox::Show(e->ToString());
       }
   }
}

// Here is the prototype for write_contours_file()
// I notice that the 'const' has been dropped in the stack trace above
System::Void write_contours_file(const ContoursDialog::Contours& contours);

// Here is the definition of ContoursDialog::Contours
__value struct Contours {
   int num_contours;

   __value struct ContourInfo {
       double lower_bound;
       int r;
       int g;
       int b;
   };

   ContourInfo contours[];

   Contours()
       : contours(new ContourInfo[max_contours])
   { }
};