cube-js/cube · error

No time dimension provided.

Error message

No time dimension provided.

What it means

get_date_range_value requires at least one QueryTimeDimension to extract a date range for compare-date-range queries. When the provided vector is present but empty (no first element), this error is raised — distinct from 678, where the whole parameter was None. The compare logic reads time_dimensions.first() and needs a concrete dimension to pull dateRange from.

Source

Thrown at rust/cube/cubeorchestrator/src/query_result_transform.rs:236

                .unwrap_or_else(|_| s.clone());
            DBResponsePrimitive::String(formatted)
        }
        other => other,
    }
}

/// Parse date range value from time dimension.
pub fn get_date_range_value(
    time_dimensions: Option<&Vec<QueryTimeDimension>>,
) -> Result<DBResponsePrimitive> {
    let time_dimensions = match time_dimensions {
        Some(time_dimensions) => time_dimensions,
        None => bail!("QueryTimeDimension should be specified for the compare date range query."),
    };

    let dim = match time_dimensions.first() {
        Some(dim) => dim,
        None => bail!("No time dimension provided."),
    };

    let date_range: &Vec<String> = match &dim.date_range {
        Some(date_range) => date_range,
        None => bail!("Inconsistent QueryTimeDimension configuration: dateRange required."),
    };

    if date_range.len() == 1 {
        bail!(
            "Inconsistent dateRange configuration for the compare date range query: {}",
            date_range[0]
        );
    }

    Ok(DBResponsePrimitive::String(
        date_range.join(COMPARE_DATE_RANGE_SEPARATOR),
    ))
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 7d981676b3)

Solutions

1. Include at least one timeDimensions entry with dimension and dateRange when using compareDateRange
2. If no time dimension applies, remove the compareDateRange option from the query
3. Check client-side transforms/filters that may empty the timeDimensions array

Example fix

// before: empty time dimensions
{"timeDimensions": [], "compareDateRange": {"compares": [...]}}

// after
{"timeDimensions": [{"dimension": "Orders.createdAt", "dateRange": ["2024-01-01", "2024-03-31"]}], "compareDateRange": {"compares": [...]}}

fn has_time_dimensions(q: &Query) -> bool {
    q.time_dimensions.as_ref().map_or(false, |t| !t.is_empty())
}
// empty arrays must also be rejected, not just None
assert!(has_time_dimensions(&query), "timeDimensions must contain at least one entry");

fn first_time_dimension(q: &Query) -> Option<&QueryTimeDimension> {
    q.time_dimensions.as_ref().and_then(|t| t.first())
}

match get_date_range_value(query.time_dimensions.as_ref()) {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("No time dimension provided") => {
        eprintln!("timeDimensions was empty — supply a dimension with dateRange");
    }
    other => other?,
}

When it happens

Trigger: Passing Some(vec![]) (an empty timeDimensions array) to get_date_range_value — e.g. a compareDateRange query whose timeDimensions list serializes as empty, exercised by test_get_date_range_value_empty_time_dimensions.

Common situations: Client filters time dimensions down to nothing before sending; SDK emits an empty array instead of omitting the field; generated queries where the user unset all time dimensions but left compareDateRange enabled.

Related errors

• QueryTimeDimension should be specified for the compare date
• compareDateRange drillDown query is not currently supported
• Method is not supported for a '${this.queryType}' query type
• externalDriverFactory is not provided. Please use CUBEJS_DEV
• Pre-aggregation tables are undefined.

AI-assisted analysis of cube-js/cube@7d981676b3 (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/36cc1a325e6195f0. Report an issue: GitHub.