 			catch (exception:*)
 			{
 				// do nothing, just a sand trap
+				// to debug:
+				// Logger.info('ReactionView#instance_sprite exception: ' + exception);
 			}
 			// return
-			return sprite(name, attributes, styles);
+			return instance;
 		}
 
 		protected function label (object_name:String, property:String, html:String, attributes:Object = null, styles:Object = null) :Label

			return (instance_sprite(ComboBox, 'dataProvider', object_name, property, attributes, styles) as ComboBox);
		}

		protected function image (object_name:String, property:String, attributes:Object = null, styles:Object = null) :Image
		{
			return (instance_sprite(Image, 'source', object_name, property, attributes, styles) as Image);


		protected function text_field (object_name:String, property:String, attributes:Object = null, styles:Object = null) :TextField
		{
			var instance:* = (instance_sprite(TextField, 'htmlText', object_name, property, attributes, styles) as TextField);
			instance.height = (instance.textHeight ? (instance.textHeight + 4) : 4);
			return instance;
		}

		protected function text_input (object_name:String, property:String, attributes:Object = null, styles:Object = null) :TextInput
