apple/pkl · error · InvalidGlobPatternException

invalidGlobInvalidCharacterInCharacterClass

invalidGlobInvalidCharacterInCharacterClass

Error message

invalidGlobInvalidCharacterInCharacterClass

What it means

A glob character class `[...]` must not contain `/` because character classes match a single path component and cannot cross directory boundaries. consumeCharacterClass throws InvalidGlobPatternException with this code when `/` appears inside a class.

Source

Thrown at pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/util/GlobResolver.java:124

        sb.append(']');
        i++;
      }
      case NULL ->
          throw new InvalidGlobPatternException(
              ErrorMessages.create("invalidGlobMissingCharacterClassTerminator"));
    }
    i++;
    var current = globPattern.charAt(i);
    while (current != ']') {
      if (current == '[') {
        var next = getNextChar(globPattern, i);
        if (next == ':' || next == '=' || next == '.') {
          throw new InvalidGlobPatternException(
              ErrorMessages.create("invalidGlobUnsupportedFeature"));
        }
      }
      if (current == '/') {
        throw new InvalidGlobPatternException(
            ErrorMessages.create("invalidGlobInvalidCharacterInCharacterClass", current));
      } else if (current == '\\') {
        sb.append("\\\\");
      } else {
        sb.append(current);
      }
      i++;
      if (i == globPattern.length()) {
        throw new InvalidGlobPatternException(
            ErrorMessages.create("invalidGlobMissingCharacterClassTerminator"));
      }
      current = globPattern.charAt(i);
    }
    sb.append("]]");
    return i;
  }

  public static Pattern toRegexPattern(String globPattern) throws InvalidGlobPatternException {

View on GitHub (pinned to f3efcbfc9b)

Solutions

1. Remove `/` from the character class; move path separators outside the class (e.g. `[ab]/c` instead of `[a/b]/c`).
2. Use a `{a,b}` alternation group to match alternative path segments.
3. Split the pattern into separate globs if needed.

Example fix

// before
glob = "[a/b]/config.pkl"
// after
glob = "{a,b}/config.pkl"

java.util.regex.Matcher m = java.util.regex.Pattern.compile("\\[[^\\]]*/[^\\]]*\\]").matcher(glob);
if (m.find()) throw new IllegalArgumentException("'/' not allowed inside glob character class");

try { return GlobResolver.toRegexPattern(glob); } catch (InvalidGlobPatternException e) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid character class in: " + glob, e); }

When it happens

Trigger: Writing a glob like `src/[a/b].pkl` or `**/[ab/c]` — any `/` between an opening `[` and its closing `]` passed to GlobResolver.toRegexString/toRegexPattern.

Common situations: Trying to match either of two directory paths inside a class; misunderstanding that `[a/b]` means 'a or b directory'; hand-editing patterns and accidentally inserting a slash.

Related errors

• invalidGlobMissingCharacterClassTerminator
• invalidGlobPattern
• invalidGlobPattern
• invalidGlobUnsupportedFeature
• invalidGlobNestedSubpattern

AI-assisted analysis of apple/pkl@f3efcbfc9b (2026-09-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/526a24d6cab72e88. Report an issue: GitHub.