apache/iceberg · error

invalidViewNameError(name)

Error message

invalidViewNameError(name)

What it means

When resolving a view, Iceberg re-parses the stored view SQL text with Spark's SQL parser. If parsing fails with a ParseException, the error is reported as an invalid view name rather than leaking the parse exception, because a view whose text cannot be parsed under the current catalog/namespace context is effectively unresolvable. This guards users with a clearer message tied to the view name.

Solutions

1. DROP and recreate the view with SQL that parses in the current Spark/catalog context
2. Inspect the view's stored text (SHOW CREATE TABLE / metadata) and fix invalid syntax
3. Align the Spark version or parser used to the one that created the view
4. Qualify all references inside the view text so it parses regardless of current namespace

Example fix

-- before: query stale view
SELECT * FROM catalog.db.old_view; -- ParseException internally
-- after: recreate it
DROP VIEW catalog.db.old_view;
CREATE VIEW catalog.db.old_view AS SELECT id, ts FROM catalog.db.src;

// verify the view resolves before querying
val exists = spark.catalog.tableExists("catalog", "db", "old_view")
if (!exists) throw new IllegalStateException("view missing; recreate it")

try {
  spark.sql(s"SELECT * FROM catalog.db.v")
} catch {
  case e: AnalysisException if e.getMessage.contains("invalid view name") =>
    // viewText no longer parses: recreate the view
    spark.sql("CREATE VIEW catalog.db.v AS <valid SQL>")
}

When it happens

Trigger: Querying or resolving a stored view whose viewText no longer parses in the current session/catalog context — e.g. the view SQL references identifiers, functions, or syntax invalid under the resolved catalog and namespace, or the view was created by an older/other engine with syntax the current parser rejects.

Common situations: Views created under a different Spark version whose SQL is no longer parseable; view text stored with dialect-specific syntax; corrupted or hand-edited view metadata; catalog/namespace change making an unqualified reference in viewText invalid.

Understand the failure class

Background: "invalid id" errors: invalid identifier format — why libraries reject IDs before lookup, and how to fix them — this error's family across 37 libraries.

Related errors

• ALTER VIEW AS is not supported. Use CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW…
• ALTER VIEW AS is not supported. Use CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW…
• ALTER VIEW AS is not supported. Use CREATE OR REPLACE VIEW…
• Altering a view is not supported by catalog
• Cannot move view between catalogs: from=

AI-assisted analysis of apache/iceberg@86d9c8fc54 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ae6ed624ee3aa94a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at spark/v4.1/spark-extensions/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/ResolveViews.scala:161

      SparkSQLProperties.VIEW_SCHEMA_MODE_COMPENSATION
    } else {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException(
        s"Invalid value for ${SparkSQLProperties.VIEW_SCHEMA_BINDING_MODE}: $mode, expected " +
          s"${SparkSQLProperties.VIEW_SCHEMA_MODE_BINDING} or " +
          s"${SparkSQLProperties.VIEW_SCHEMA_MODE_COMPENSATION}")
    }
  }

  private def parseViewText(name: String, viewText: String): LogicalPlan = {
    val origin = Origin(objectType = Some("VIEW"), objectName = Some(name))

    try {
      CurrentOrigin.withOrigin(origin) {
        spark.sessionState.sqlParser.parseQuery(viewText)
      }
    } catch {
      case _: ParseException =>
        throw QueryCompilationErrors.invalidViewNameError(name)
    }
  }

  private def rewriteIdentifiers(
      plan: LogicalPlan,
      catalogAndNamespace: Seq[String]): LogicalPlan = {
    // Rewrite unresolved functions and relations
    qualifyTableIdentifiers(
      qualifyFunctionIdentifiers(CTESubstitution.apply(plan), catalogAndNamespace),
      catalogAndNamespace)
  }

  private def qualifyFunctionIdentifiers(
      plan: LogicalPlan,
      catalogAndNamespace: Seq[String]): LogicalPlan = plan transformExpressions {
    case u @ UnresolvedFunction(Seq(name), _, _, _, _, _, _) =>
      if (!isBuiltinFunction(name)) {
        u.copy(nameParts = catalogAndNamespace :+ name)

View on GitHub (pinned to 86d9c8fc54)