apache/flink · error · InvalidTypesException

SQL time type expected.

Error message

SQL time type expected.

What it means

Thrown during input type validation when the TypeInformation is a SqlTimeTypeInfo (java.sql.Date, java.sql.Time, java.sql.Timestamp) but the reflected Type is not a recognized SQL time type. `SqlTimeTypeInfo.getInfoFor()` returns null for the class, indicating it is not one of the three supported SQL temporal types.

Source

Thrown at flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/api/java/typeutils/TypeExtractor.java:1521

                if (!(type instanceof Class<?>)
                        || (actual = BasicTypeInfo.getInfoFor((Class<?>) type)) == null) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException("Basic type expected.");
                }
                // check if correct basic type
                if (!typeInfo.equals(actual)) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException(
                            "Basic type '" + typeInfo + "' expected but was '" + actual + "'.");
                }

            }
            // check for Java SQL time types
            else if (typeInfo instanceof SqlTimeTypeInfo) {

                TypeInformation<?> actual;
                // check if SQL time type at all
                if (!(type instanceof Class<?>)
                        || (actual = SqlTimeTypeInfo.getInfoFor((Class<?>) type)) == null) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException("SQL time type expected.");
                }
                // check if correct SQL time type
                if (!typeInfo.equals(actual)) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException(
                            "SQL time type '" + typeInfo + "' expected but was '" + actual + "'.");
                }

            }
            // check for Java Tuples
            else if (typeInfo instanceof TupleTypeInfo) {
                // check if tuple at all
                if (!(isClassType(type) && Tuple.class.isAssignableFrom(typeToClass(type)))) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException("Tuple type expected.");
                }

                // do not allow usage of Tuple as type
                if (isClassType(type) && typeToClass(type).equals(Tuple.class)) {
                    throw new InvalidTypesException("Concrete subclass of Tuple expected.");

View on GitHub (pinned to 2f3c205e92)

Solutions

1. Ensure the function uses the correct java.sql temporal type (Date, Time, or Timestamp)
2. Convert java.time types to java.sql equivalents before the function: `java.sql.Timestamp.from(instant)`
3. If using java.time types, do not register SqlTimeTypeInfo — use a POJO or explicit TypeInformation instead

Example fix

// before — java.time vs java.sql mismatch
DataStream<java.time.Instant> stream = ...;
stream.map(new MapFunction<java.sql.Timestamp, X>() { ... });

// after — convert or align
stream.map(instant -> java.sql.Timestamp.from(instant))
      .map(new MapFunction<java.sql.Timestamp, X>() { ... });

// Check if the reflected type is a valid SQL time type
Class<?> inputClass = myFunctionInputClass; // obtained via reflection
TypeInformation<?> sqlTimeInfo = SqlTimeTypeInfo.getInfoFor(inputClass);
if (sqlTimeInfo == null) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException(
        "Type " + inputClass.getName()
        + " is not a recognized SQL time type. "
        + "Use java.sql.Date, java.sql.Time, or java.sql.Timestamp.");
}

When it happens

Trigger: A function or stream uses SqlTimeTypeInfo but the actual reflected type from the function signature is not java.sql.Date, java.sql.Time, or java.sql.Timestamp. For example, the function declares a Timestamp input but the stream carries java.util.Date or java.time.Instant.

Common situations: Mixing java.time (Instant, LocalDateTime) with java.sql types in a pipeline. Using java.util.Date where java.sql.Timestamp is expected. Connecting a connector that emits java.sql types to a function expecting java.time types.

Related errors

• SQL time type '{}' expected but was '{}'.
• Basic type expected.
• Basic type '{}' expected but was '{}'.
• Tuple type expected.
• Concrete subclass of Tuple expected.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/flink@2f3c205e92 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e5295b4b02355f06. Report an issue: GitHub.