apple/pkl · error

notAModuleImport

notAModuleImport

Error message

notAModuleImport

What it means

`notAModuleImport` is thrown by ResolveDeclaredTypeNode.getImport when the identifier in a qualified type resolves to a module member that exists but is not an import. Qualified types must be anchored to an imported module, not to an arbitrary property.

Source

Thrown at pkl-core/src/main/java/org/pkl/core/ast/type/ResolveDeclaredTypeNode.java:59

    assert curr.isModuleObject();
    return (VmTyped) curr;
  }

  protected VmTyped getImport(
      VmTyped module, Identifier importName, SourceSection importNameSection) {
    assert importName.isLocalProp();

    var member = module.getMember(importName);
    if (member == null) {
      throw exceptionBuilder()
          .evalError("cannotFindModuleImport", importName)
          .withSourceSection(importNameSection)
          .build();
    }

    if (!member.isImport()) {
      throw exceptionBuilder()
          .evalError("notAModuleImport", importName)
          .withSourceSection(importNameSection)
          .build();
    }

    if (member.isGlob()) {
      throw exceptionBuilder()
          .evalError("notAType", importName)
          .withSourceSection(importNameSection)
          .build();
    }

    assert member.getConstantValue() == null;
    var result = module.getCachedValue(importName);
    if (result == null) {
      result = callNode.call(member.getCallTarget(), module, module, importName);
      module.setCachedValue(importName, result);
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to f3efcbfc9b)

Solutions

  1. Import the module explicitly (`import "path.pkl" as name`) and use `name.Type`
  2. Rename the shadowing property so the import name is not obscured
  3. Use the module's import alias rather than a local property in type positions

Example fix

// before
x: myProp.Config
// after
import "config.pkl" as conf
x: conf.Config
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// qualified type prefix must be an import, not a property
const isImport = /^import\b/.test(lineOf(prefix));

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Writing `someProp.Type` in a type position where `someProp` is a regular property (not an `import "..." as someProp` binding).

Common situations: Confusing a property holding a module value with an actual import; shadowing an import name with a property; referencing a local object instead of a module in a qualified type.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Must be a positive integer", "Invalid value", "Unsupported": the invalid-argument-value error family, when a library rejects the value you pass — this error's family across 35 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of apple/pkl@f3efcbfc9b (2026-09-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2c38d832505d51c9. Report an issue: GitHub.