cannotFindSimpleType

cannotFindSimpleType

Error message

cannotFindSimpleType (typeName, enclosingModuleName)

What it means

`cannotFindSimpleType` is thrown by ResolveSimpleDeclaredTypeNode.executeGeneric when a simple (unqualified) type name cannot be resolved in the enclosing module or any of its parent modules. The message includes the type name and the enclosing module's name to aid locating the miss.

Solutions

Add the required import for the module declaring the type
Correct the type name spelling
Verify the type exists in the enclosing module hierarchy or move/rename accordingly

Example fix

// before
name: Strng
// after
name: String

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// check unqualified type names are declared or imported
if (!/(class|typealias|module)\s+Foo\b|^import\b/m.test(source)) console.error("type Foo not found");

Prevention

Import modules whose types you reference unqualified
Use editor tooling/autocomplete to avoid typos

When it happens

Trigger: Using `Foo` in a type position where no class/typealias named `Foo` exists in the current module or its ancestors; missing import for a base module type; typo in the type name.

Common situations: Forgetting to import a module whose types are used unqualified via glob import removal; typos like `Strng`; renaming a class without updating annotations.

Understand the failure class

Background: 'Could not be found', 'does not exist', 'not found in database': the resource-not-found family when an ID, slug, key, or URI lookup comes back empty — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of apple/pkl@f3efcbfc9b (2026-09-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a2a035b5160f17a3. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/ast/type/ResolveSimpleDeclaredTypeNode.java:67

    var result = getType(enclosingModule, localTypeName, sourceSection);
    if (result != null) return result;

    // search module hierarchy
    var currModule = enclosingModule;
    do {
      result = getType(currModule, typeName, sourceSection);
      if (result != null) return result;

      // search base module (after enclosing module, before parent modules)
      if (!isBaseModule && currModule == enclosingModule) {
        result = getType(BaseModule.getModule(), typeName, sourceSection);
        if (result != null) return result;
      }

      currModule = currModule.getParent();
    } while (currModule != null);

    throw exceptionBuilder()
        .evalError(
            "cannotFindSimpleType", typeName, enclosingModule.getModuleInfo().getModuleName())
        .build();
  }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to f3efcbfc9b)