apache/beam · error · SqlUtil.newContextException

Attempting to alter catalog

Error message

Attempting to alter catalog '%s' with unexpected Calcite Schema of type %s

What it means

Thrown by SqlAlterCatalog.execute when the resolved schema for the catalog name is not a CatalogManagerSchema. ALTER CATALOG can only operate on Beam's CatalogManagerSchema; anything else (e.g. a plain BeamCalciteSchema) is rejected with this type-mismatch message.

Solutions

1. Target a catalog registered in Beam's CatalogManagerSchema, not a plain schema.
2. Create the catalog first with CREATE CATALOG so it resolves to CatalogManagerSchema.
3. Check the fully qualified name resolves to the intended managed catalog.
4. Use ALTER DATABASE/TABLE statements for non-catalog schemas.

Example fix

// before
ALTER CATALOG default SET 'k'='v'; -- resolves to non-manager schema
// after
CREATE CATALOG IF NOT EXISTS mycatalog;
ALTER CATALOG mycatalog SET 'k'='v';

// Java: verify schema type before ALTER CATALOG
Schema schema = calciteSchema.schema;
if (!(schema instanceof CatalogManagerSchema)) {
  throw new IllegalStateException("ALTER CATALOG requires a managed catalog, got " + schema.getClass());
}

boolean isManagedCatalog(Schema s) { return s instanceof org.apache.beam.sdk.extensions.sql.impl.CatalogManagerSchema; }

When it happens

Trigger: Executing `ALTER CATALOG name ...` where SqlDdlNodes.schema(context, true, name) resolves to a CalciteSchema whose schema object is not an instance of CatalogManagerSchema.

Common situations: Running ALTER CATALOG against a catalog defined outside Beam's catalog manager (a raw BeamCalciteSchema), mixing catalog implementations, or referencing the current/default schema that is not a managed catalog.

Understand the failure class

Background: Type mismatch errors: IllegalArgumentException, TypeError and type guards across 150 open-source libraries — this error's family across 150 libraries.

Related errors

• Attempting to create catalog
• Attempting to create database
• Attempting to drop a catalog
• Attempting to drop a table using unexpected Calcite Schema…
• Cannot drop catalog: ' ' not found.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/beam@12126d8942 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/daede57ca89bac17. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at sdks/java/extensions/sql/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/extensions/sql/impl/parser/SqlAlterCatalog.java:75

  public SqlAlterCatalog(
      SqlParserPos pos,
      @Nullable String scope,
      SqlNode name,
      @Nullable SqlNodeList setProps,
      @Nullable SqlNodeList resetProps) {
    super(pos, scope);
    this.name = SqlDdlNodes.getIdentifier(name, pos);
    this.setProps = setProps;
    this.resetProps = resetProps;
  }

  @Override
  public void execute(CalcitePrepare.Context context) {
    final Pair<CalciteSchema, String> pair = SqlDdlNodes.schema(context, true, name);
    Schema schema = pair.left.schema;

    if (!(schema instanceof CatalogManagerSchema)) {
      throw SqlUtil.newContextException(
          name.getParserPosition(),
          RESOURCE.internal(
              "Attempting to alter catalog '"
                  + SqlDdlNodes.name(name)
                  + "' with unexpected Calcite Schema of type "
                  + schema.getClass()));
    }

    CatalogSchema catalogSchema =
        ((CatalogManagerSchema) schema).getCatalogSchema(SqlDdlNodes.getString(name));

    Map<String, String> setPropsMap = SqlDdlNodes.getStringMap(setProps);
    Collection<String> resetPropsList = SqlDdlNodes.getStringList(resetProps);

    ImmutableList.Builder<String> overlappingPropsBuilder = ImmutableList.builder();
    resetPropsList.stream().filter(setPropsMap::containsKey).forEach(overlappingPropsBuilder::add);
    List<String> overlappingProps = overlappingPropsBuilder.build();
    checkState(

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