{"record":{"id":"42e2f3799d20e51c","repo":"apache/beam","slug":"unable-to-parse-schema-for-rowcoder","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Unable to parse schema for RowCoder: ","messagePattern":"Unable to parse schema for RowCoder: ","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"RuntimeException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/util/construction/CoderTranslators.java","lineNumber":181,"sourceCode":"      public List<? extends Coder<?>> getComponents(RowCoder from) {\n        return ImmutableList.of();\n      }\n\n      @Override\n      public byte[] getPayload(RowCoder from) {\n        return SchemaTranslation.schemaToProto(from.getSchema(), true).toByteArray();\n      }\n\n      @Override\n      public RowCoder fromComponents(\n          List<Coder<?>> components, byte[] payload, CoderTranslation.TranslationContext context) {\n        checkArgument(\n            components.isEmpty(), \"Expected empty component list, but received: \" + components);\n        Schema schema;\n        try {\n          schema = SchemaTranslation.schemaFromProto(SchemaApi.Schema.parseFrom(payload));\n        } catch (InvalidProtocolBufferException e) {\n          throw new RuntimeException(\"Unable to parse schema for RowCoder: \", e);\n        }\n        return RowCoder.of(schema);\n      }\n    };\n  }\n\n  static <T> CoderTranslator<SchemaCoder<T>> schema() {\n    return new CoderTranslator<SchemaCoder<T>>() {\n      private static final String TO_ROW_FUNCTION_URN = \"beam:torowfn:javasdk:v1\";\n      private static final String FROM_ROW_FUNCTION_URN = \"beam:fromrowfn:javasdk:v1\";\n      private static final String TYPE_DESCRIPTOR_URN = \"beam:typedescriptor:javasdk:v1\";\n\n      @Override\n      public ImmutableList<? extends Coder<?>> getComponents(SchemaCoder<T> from) {\n        return ImmutableList.of();\n      }\n\n      @Override","sourceCodeStart":163,"sourceCodeEnd":199,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/apache/beam/blob/12126d8942aaf848030c478b4c6a28c6af861c66/sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/util/construction/CoderTranslators.java#L163-L199","documentation":"When translating a RowCoder from its proto form, CoderTranslators.fromComponents parses the payload as a Schema protobuf; an InvalidProtocolBufferException is rethrown as RuntimeException('Unable to parse schema for RowCoder: '), meaning the coder payload bytes are corrupt or not a Schema message.","triggerScenarios":"Deserializing a pipeline/graph proto whose RowCoder spec payload was truncated, corrupted, or produced by an incompatible Beam version where the payload layout differs.","commonSituations":"Pipelines serialized by a different Beam SDK version and replayed with another; hand-edited or damaged job protos; transport layers that mangle binary payloads.","solutions":["Re-serialize the pipeline with the same Beam version used to run it; align SDK versions","Verify the payload bytes are a valid SchemaApi.Schema protobuf (parse standalone to confirm)","Regenerate the job graph rather than reusing stale/cached serialized pipelines","If decode must be lenient, wrap and log payload hex to diagnose the exact corruption"],"exampleFix":"// before\nschema = SchemaTranslation.schemaFromProto(SchemaApi.Schema.parseFrom(payload));\n// after\ntry {\n  schema = SchemaTranslation.schemaFromProto(SchemaApi.Schema.parseFrom(payload));\n} catch (InvalidProtocolBufferException e) {\n  throw new IOException(\"Unable to parse RowCoder schema payload (\" + payload.length + \" bytes)\", e);\n}","handlingStrategy":"try-catch","validationCode":"SchemaApi.Schema.parseFrom(payload); // throws InvalidProtocolBufferException if invalid","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"try {\n  return CoderTranslators.rowCoderFromProtoComponents(payload, components);\n} catch (RuntimeException e) {\n  if (e.getMessage().startsWith(\"Unable to parse schema for RowCoder\")) {\n    throw new IOException(\"corrupt RowCoder payload; regenerate the pipeline proto\", e);\n  }\n  throw e;\n}","preventionTips":["Use the same Beam version to serialize and deserialize pipeline protos","Never hand-edit binary job protos","Detect payload truncation in transport layers (checksum)"],"tags":["java","beam","protobuf","rowcoder"],"backgroundTag":"protobuf-unmarshal-failed","analyzedSha":"12126d8942aaf848030c478b4c6a28c6af861c66","analyzedAt":"2026-09-13T01:50:10.254Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-13T01:50:10.254Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T11:17:12.474Z"}