cakephp/cakephp · error · DatabaseException

Table ` ` does not contain a index named ` `.

Error message

Table `%s` does not contain a index named `%s`.

What it means

TableSchema::index() performs a lookup of a declared index by name and throws when no index with that name exists on the table. Unlike hasIndex(), it treats a missing name as a hard error rather than returning null.

Solutions

1. Check with `$schema->hasIndex('name')` (or compare against $schema->indexes()) first.
2. Verify the exact index name used in addIndex().
3. Re-add the index if it was dropped earlier in the flow.
4. Return an empty/null result defensively instead of calling index() for optional lookups.

Example fix

// before
$idx = $schema->index('author_idx');
// after
$idx = $schema->hasIndex('author_idx') ? $schema->index('author_idx') : null;

if (!in_array($name, $schema->indexes(), true)) {
    return null;
}

function indexOrNullable(\Cake\Database\Schema\TableSchema $s, string $name): ?array {
    return in_array($name, $s->indexes(), true) ? $s->index($name) : null;
}

try {
    $idx = $schema->index($name);
} catch (\Cake\Database\Exception\DatabaseException $e) {
    $idx = null;
}

When it happens

Trigger: `$schema->index('idx_name')` where addIndex() was never called with that name, or the name is misspelled; retrieving an index removed by dropIndex().

Common situations: Inspection code assuming an index exists; typos in index names; reading a schema object that was rebuilt without the index.

Understand the failure class

Background: Record Not Found Errors: "not found", RecordNotFound, and "was not found" — what they mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• Column ` ` of table ` `: The column type ` ` can only be…
• Columns used in constraints must be added to the Table…
• Columns used in index
• Constraints in table
• Invalid constraint type

AI-assisted analysis of cakephp/cakephp@1128eba9b0 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fd2595f980f1ad68. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Database/Schema/TableSchema.php:668

    /**
     * Get a index object for a given index name.
     *
     * Will raise an exception if no index can be found.
     *
     * @param string $name The name of the index to get.
     * @return \Cake\Database\Schema\Index
     */
    public function index(string $name): Index
    {
        $index = $this->_indexes[$name] ?? null;
        if ($index === null) {
            $message = sprintf(
                'Table `%s` does not contain a index named `%s`.',
                $this->_table,
                $name,
            );
            throw new DatabaseException($message);
        }

        return $index;
    }

    /**
     * @inheritDoc
     */
    public function getPrimaryKey(): array
    {
        foreach ($this->_constraints as $data) {
            if ($data->getType() === static::CONSTRAINT_PRIMARY) {
                return (array)$data->getColumns();
            }
        }

        return [];
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to 1128eba9b0)