NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra · error · IllegalArgumentException

Given field does not have the given type

Error message

Given field does not have the given type: {} != {}

What it means

Thrown (unchecked IllegalArgumentException) by the AbstractDBFieldCodec constructor when field.getType() != valueType — the reflective field's Java type does not match the codec's declared value type. The codec serialises a specific value type, so the field it operates on must hold exactly that type.

Solutions

1. Make the codec's value type match field.getType() exactly (derive one from the other).
2. After changing a field's type, update its codec registration to the matching codec class.
3. When in doubt, resolve the codec by the field's declared type rather than hardcoding a value type.

Example fix

// before
new IntDBFieldCodec<>(OT.class, longField, col); // throws: field is long, codec is int

// after: use the codec matching the field's type
new LongDBFieldCodec<>(OT.class, longField, col);

// Ensure the codec value type matches the field's declared type
if (field.getType() != valueType) {
    // mismatch: pick the codec whose value type equals field.getType()
}

When it happens

Trigger: Registering a codec (e.g. a Long codec) against a field whose declared Java type differs (e.g. an Integer or String field), or vice versa. The value type parameter and the field's runtime type must agree.

Common situations: Changing a field's Java type (e.g. int -> long) without updating the codec value type; using the wrong codec class for a field; autoboxing confusion (primitive vs boxed) if the codec expects a specific one.

Related errors

• Column is not of type ! It is
• Given field does not apply to given object type
• No variant codec for class
• No variant codec with selector
• Too many constants in

AI-assisted analysis of NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra@d5f144c24d (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5c3a65fcf0043854. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at Ghidra/Debug/ProposedUtils/src/main/java/ghidra/util/database/DBCachedObjectStoreFactory.java:337

		protected final int column;

		/**
		 * Construct a codec
		 * 
		 * @param valueType
		 * @param objectType
		 * @param fieldType
		 * @param field
		 * @param column
		 */
		public AbstractDBFieldCodec(Class<VT> valueType, Class<OT> objectType, Class<FT> fieldType,
				Field field, int column) {
			if (!field.getDeclaringClass().isAssignableFrom(objectType)) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
					"Given field does not apply to given object type");
			}
			if (field.getType() != valueType) {
				throw new IllegalArgumentException(
					"Given field does not have the given type: " + valueType + " != " + field);
			}
			this.valueType = valueType;
			@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
			Class<VT> boxedType = (Class<VT>) MethodType.methodType(valueType).wrap().returnType();
			this.boxedType = boxedType;
			this.objectType = objectType;
			this.fieldType = fieldType;
			this.field = field;
			this.column = column;
		}

		@Override
		public void store(OT obj, DBRecord record) {
			try {
				doStore(obj, record);
			}
			catch (IllegalArgumentException | IllegalAccessException e) {

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