apache/iceberg · error · UnsupportedOperationException

Unsupported type ID:

Error message

Unsupported type ID: 

What it means

TypeToSchema converts Iceberg primitive types into Avro schemas; when it encounters a primitive type ID it has no Avro mapping for, it throws this UnsupportedOperationException. All standard Iceberg primitive types are handled, so this indicates a type outside the known set.

Source

Thrown at core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/avro/TypeToSchema.java:281

        break;
      case BINARY:
      case GEOMETRY:
      case GEOGRAPHY:
        primitiveSchema = BINARY_SCHEMA;
        break;
      case DECIMAL:
        Types.DecimalType decimal = (Types.DecimalType) primitive;
        primitiveSchema =
            LogicalTypes.decimal(decimal.precision(), decimal.scale())
                .addToSchema(
                    Schema.createFixed(
                        "decimal_" + decimal.precision() + "_" + decimal.scale(),
                        null,
                        null,
                        TypeUtil.decimalRequiredBytes(decimal.precision())));
        break;
      default:
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Unsupported type ID: " + primitive.typeId());
    }

    cacheSchema(primitive, primitiveSchema);

    return primitiveSchema;
  }

  static class WithTypeToName extends TypeToSchema {

    private final Map<Type, Schema> results = Maps.newHashMap();

    WithTypeToName(Map<Types.StructType, String> names) {
      super((id, struct) -> names.get(struct));
    }

    Map<Type, Schema> getConversionMap() {
      return results;
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to 86d9c8fc54)

Solutions

1. Upgrade the Iceberg runtime to a version that supports the type ID in question
2. Check the type passed in for accidental custom/wrapper types; use the canonical Iceberg Types.* primitives
3. Rebuild dependent code against the same Iceberg version used to write the metadata

Example fix

// before
Type t = myCustomWrapperType();
Schema s = AvroSchemaUtil.convert(t, "root");
// after
Type t = Types.StringType.get();
Schema s = AvroSchemaUtil.convert(t, "root");

if (!(type instanceof Types.StringType || type instanceof Types.LongType || /* all supported primitives */ type instanceof Types.IntegerType)) { throw new IllegalStateException("unsupported primitive: " + type); }

boolean isSupportedPrimitive(Type t) { return t.isPrimitiveType() && t.typeId() != Type.TypeID.UNKNOWN; }

try { Schema s = AvroSchemaUtil.convert(type, "root"); } catch (UnsupportedOperationException e) { if (e.getMessage().startsWith("Unsupported type ID")) { /* align Iceberg versions */ } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling TypeToSchema (or AvroSchemaUtil.convert on an Iceberg Type) with a Type whose typeId() is unknown to this version, e.g. types added in a newer Iceberg spec or custom Type implementations.

Common situations: Version mismatch: newer table metadata or catalog returning newer types consumed by an older Iceberg runtime; wrapping custom types via TypeUtil.

Related errors

• Unsupported to derive Schema for type: <logicalType>
• Unsupported type: variant
• Unsupported type:
• Unknown logical type:
• Unsupported type:

AI-assisted analysis of apache/iceberg@86d9c8fc54 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f2a525ea33572ecb. Report an issue: GitHub.