apache/flink · error · NullPointerException

The target object may not be null

Error message

The target object may not be null

What it means

Thrown by Record.getField when the target deserialization object is null — the method deserializes the field value into the supplied target Value instance and requires a non-null target to write into. The caller must pass an instantiated target object.

Solutions

1. Address the cause reported by the error message: The target object may not be null
2. Verify the inputs, configuration values, and classpath/dependency setup related to this operation, then retry.

Example fix

Correct the condition described ("The target object may not be null") and rerun the job or command.

When it happens

Trigger: Triggered at runtime when the operation fails because: The target object may not be null.

Common situations: Commonly caused by misconfiguration, missing dependencies or files, unsupported types or operations, or invalid user input leading to: The target object may not be null.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/flink@2f3c205e92 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d35286d8284f3b46. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/types/Record.java:272

    /**
     * Gets the field at the given position. The method tries to deserialize the fields into the
     * given target value. If the fields has been changed since the last (de)serialization, or is
     * null, them the target value is left unchanged and the changed value (or null) is returned.
     *
     * <p>In all cases, the returned value contains the correct data (or is correctly null).
     *
     * @param fieldNum The position of the field.
     * @param target The value to deserialize the field into.
     * @return The value with the contents of the requested field, or null, if the field is null.
     */
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public <T extends Value> T getField(int fieldNum, T target) {
        // range check
        if (fieldNum < 0 || fieldNum >= this.numFields) {
            throw new IndexOutOfBoundsException();
        }
        if (target == null) {
            throw new NullPointerException("The target object may not be null");
        }

        // get offset and check for null
        final int offset = this.offsets[fieldNum];
        if (offset == NULL_INDICATOR_OFFSET) {
            return null;
        } else if (offset == MODIFIED_INDICATOR_OFFSET) {
            // value that has been set is new or modified
            // bring the binary in sync so that the deserialization gives the correct result
            return (T) this.writeFields[fieldNum];
        }

        final int limit = offset + this.lengths[fieldNum];
        deserialize(target, offset, limit, fieldNum);
        return target;
    }

    /**

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