{"record":{"id":"6c3acbb733b9baf3","repo":"apache/iceberg","slug":"invalid-primary-key-s-column-s-does-not-exi-6c3acb","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Invalid primary key '%s'. Column '%s' does not exist.","messagePattern":"Invalid primary key '(.+?)'\\. Column '(.+?)' does not exist\\.","errorType":"validation","errorClass":"org.apache.flink.table.api.ValidationException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"flink/v2.3/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/flink/FlinkSchemaUtil.java","lineNumber":358,"sourceCode":"    final Map<String, Column> columnsByNameLookup =\n        columns.stream().collect(Collectors.toMap(Column::getName, Function.identity()));\n\n    final Set<String> duplicateColumns =\n        primaryKey.getColumns().stream()\n            .filter(name -> Collections.frequency(primaryKey.getColumns(), name) > 1)\n            .collect(Collectors.toSet());\n\n    if (!duplicateColumns.isEmpty()) {\n      throw new ValidationException(\n          String.format(\n              \"Invalid primary key '%s'. A primary key must not contain duplicate columns. Found: %s\",\n              primaryKey.getName(), duplicateColumns));\n    }\n\n    for (String columnName : primaryKey.getColumns()) {\n      Column column = columnsByNameLookup.get(columnName);\n      if (column == null) {\n        throw new ValidationException(\n            String.format(\n                \"Invalid primary key '%s'. Column '%s' does not exist.\",\n                primaryKey.getName(), columnName));\n      }\n\n      if (!column.isPhysical()) {\n        throw new ValidationException(\n            String.format(\n                \"Invalid primary key '%s'. Column '%s' is not a physical column.\",\n                primaryKey.getName(), columnName));\n      }\n\n      final LogicalType columnType = column.getDataType().getLogicalType();\n      if (columnType.isNullable()) {\n        throw new ValidationException(\n            String.format(\n                \"Invalid primary key '%s'. Column '%s' is nullable.\",\n                primaryKey.getName(), columnName));","sourceCodeStart":340,"sourceCodeEnd":376,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/apache/iceberg/blob/86d9c8fc543e7c56c9f624eb725f76c9baff9570/flink/v2.3/flink/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/flink/FlinkSchemaUtil.java#L340-L376","documentation":"validatePrimaryKey verifies each primary key column exists in the resolved schema. If a key column name is not found among the table's columns, a ValidationException 'Invalid primary key ... Column does not exist' is thrown.","triggerScenarios":"PRIMARY KEY referencing a misspelled or renamed column; programmatically built key list out of sync with the schema; case-mismatched column names.","commonSituations":"Schema evolution renamed/dropped a column while the key definition was stale; DDL copied between tables; generated code with hardcoded column names.","solutions":["Correct the primary key column names to match columns in the schema","Verify the key columns exist after schema changes (renames/drops)","Derive key columns programmatically from the schema rather than hardcoding","Mind case sensitivity of column names in DDL"],"exampleFix":"// before\nCREATE TABLE t (id BIGINT, name STRING, PRIMARY KEY (user_id) NOT ENFORCED);\n\n// after\nCREATE TABLE t (id BIGINT, name STRING, PRIMARY KEY (id) NOT ENFORCED);","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"Set<String> names = schema.getColumns().stream().map(Column::getName).collect(Collectors.toSet());\nkeyColumns.forEach(c -> { if (!names.contains(c)) throw new IllegalArgumentException(\"key column missing: \" + c); });","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"try { FlinkSchemaUtil.toResolvedSchema(schema); } catch (ValidationException e) { /* fix key column names */ }","preventionTips":["Derive key columns from the actual schema","Re-validate keys after column renames/drops","Match column name case exactly","Keep DDL and programmatic schemas in sync"],"tags":["flink","schema","primary-key","validation"],"backgroundTag":"schema-validation-failed","analyzedSha":"86d9c8fc543e7c56c9f624eb725f76c9baff9570","analyzedAt":"2026-09-12T00:46:39.097Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-12T00:46:39.097Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T11:17:12.474Z"}