apple/pkl · error · VmException

cannotFindModule

cannotFindModule

Error message

cannotFindModule

What it means

A module referenced by an import/glob expansion could not be found: the resolver threw FileNotFoundException/NoSuchFileException, converted to cannotFindModule with the entry's string value and source section.

Source

Thrown at pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/runtime/VmImportAnalyzer.java:132

            var moduleUri = globElement.uri();
            var mk = moduleResolver.resolve(moduleUri);
            var rmk = mk.resolve(securityManager);
            result.add(new ImportEntry(moduleUri, rmk));
          }
        } else {
          var resolvedUri =
              IoUtils.resolve(securityManager, moduleKey, IoUtils.toUri(entry.stringValue()));
          var mKey = moduleResolver.resolve(resolvedUri);
          var rmk = mKey.resolve(securityManager);
          result.add(new ImportEntry(resolvedUri, rmk));
        }
      } catch (InvalidGlobPatternException e) {
        throw new VmExceptionBuilder()
            .evalError("invalidGlobPattern", entry.stringValue())
            .withSourceSection(entry.sourceSection())
            .build();
      } catch (FileNotFoundException | NoSuchFileException e) {
        throw new VmExceptionBuilder()
            .evalError("cannotFindModule", entry.stringValue())
            .withSourceSection(entry.sourceSection())
            .build();
      } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
        throw new VmExceptionBuilder()
            .evalError("invalidModuleUri", entry.stringValue())
            .withHint(e.getReason())
            .withSourceSection(entry.sourceSection())
            .build();
      } catch (IOException e) {
        throw new VmExceptionBuilder()
            .evalError("ioErrorLoadingModule", entry.stringValue())
            .withCause(e)
            .withSourceSection(entry.sourceSection())
            .build();
      } catch (SecurityManagerException | PackageLoadError e) {
        throw new VmExceptionBuilder()
            .withSourceSection(entry.sourceSection())

View on GitHub (pinned to f3efcbfc9b)

Solutions

1. Check the path/URI spelling at the reported source section
2. Ensure the referenced module exists relative to the importing module or via the correct scheme (project:, package:, file:, etc.)
3. Fetch/sync package dependencies (pkl project resolve) if it comes from a dependency

Example fix

// before
import("confg.pkl")
// after
import("config.pkl")

for (const dep of imports) { if (!fs.existsSync(resolve(importerDir, dep))) throw new Error('missing module: ' + dep) }

When it happens

Trigger: import("missing/file.pkl") or a glob that resolves to paths deleted before reading; classpath/path missing during collectImports.

Common situations: Typo in the module path; file moved/renamed; running from a different working directory; package dependency not fetched.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• ioErrorLoadingModule
• ioErrorResolvingGlob
• resourcePastRootDir|modulePastRootDir
• Is a directory
• cannotFindStdLibModule

AI-assisted analysis of apple/pkl@f3efcbfc9b (2026-09-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c6c00ce4d85aa367. Report an issue: GitHub.