apache/iceberg · error · UnsupportedOperationException

Cannot read manifest with a deletion vector:

Error message

Cannot read manifest with a deletion vector: 

What it means

Preconditions guard in V4ManifestReader's Builder: the manifest file being opened contains deletion vectors (a v4 feature) that this reader cannot process. The table location argument was already validated; the failure is purely about manifest content — a format-version/feature mismatch between the writer and this reader.

Solutions

1. Upgrade Iceberg to a version that supports reading deletion vectors
2. Write the table without deletion vectors (avoid v4 DV features)
3. Fail fast with a clear message when detecting format-version-4 manifests with DVs

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/V4ManifestReader.java:221 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/iceberg@86d9c8fc54 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/48ca97d8e1b14214. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/V4ManifestReader.java:221

        ManifestFile manifest,
        FileIO io,
        Map<Integer, PartitionSpec> specsById,
        String tableLocation) {
      Preconditions.checkArgument(tableLocation != null, "Invalid table location: null");
      int formatVersion = manifest.formatVersion();
      Preconditions.checkArgument(
          formatVersion == SUPPORTED_FORMAT_VERSION,
          "Cannot read manifest with format version %s: only %s is supported",
          formatVersion,
          SUPPORTED_FORMAT_VERSION);
      Preconditions.checkState(
          manifest.content() == ManifestContent.DATA,
          "Cannot read manifest with content %s: only data manifests are supported: %s",
          manifest.content(),
          manifest.path());

      if (manifest.manifestDeletionVector() != null) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
            "Cannot read manifest with a deletion vector: " + manifest.path());
      }

      this.manifest = manifest;
      this.io = io;
      this.specsById = specsById;
      this.tableLocation = tableLocation;
      this.unionPartitionType = Partitioning.unionPartitionTypes(specsById.values());
      Schema base = TrackedFile.schema(unionPartitionType, Types.StructType.of());
      // the read schema carries row_position (via BASE_TYPE) so the reader can fill manifestPos
      this.fullSchema =
          TypeUtil.replaceFieldTypes(
              base, ImmutableMap.of(TrackedFile.TRACKING.fieldId(), TrackingStruct.BASE_TYPE));
    }

    /** Sets a filter; files that cannot match the expression are skipped. */
    Builder filter(Expression expr) {
      Preconditions.checkArgument(expr != null, "Invalid filter: null");

View on GitHub (pinned to 86d9c8fc54)