gastownhall/beads · error

db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: read counter for

Error message

db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: read counter for %s: %w

What it means

Wrapping error from ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID at internal/storage/domain/db/child_counter.go:50. After resolving the counter table (child_counters or wisp_child_counters), the code reads the last used child number with a scalar query. A missing row is handled (lastChild = 0); any other scan/query error is wrapped with this message, meaning the counter row exists but could not be read (or the query itself failed).

Source

Thrown at internal/storage/domain/db/child_counter.go:50

	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: probe parent table for %s: %w", parentID, err)
	}
	if parentIsWisp {
		counterTable, issueTable = "wisp_child_counters", "wisps"
	}

	var lastChild int
	err = r.runner.QueryRowContext(ctx,
		//nolint:gosec // G201: counterTable is one of two hardcoded constants
		fmt.Sprintf("SELECT last_child FROM %s WHERE parent_id = ?", counterTable),
		parentID,
	).Scan(&lastChild)
	switch {
	case err == nil:
	case errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows):
		lastChild = 0
	default:
		return "", fmt.Errorf("db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: read counter for %s: %w", parentID, err)
	}

	rows, err := r.runner.QueryContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(`
		SELECT id FROM %s
		WHERE id LIKE CONCAT(?, '.%%')
		  AND id NOT LIKE CONCAT(?, '.%%.%%')
	`, issueTable), parentID, parentID) //nolint:gosec // G201: issueTable is one of two hardcoded constants
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: scan existing children of %s: %w", parentID, err)
	}
	defer rows.Close()
	for rows.Next() {
		var id string
		if err := rows.Scan(&id); err != nil {
			return "", fmt.Errorf("db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: scan: %w", err)
		}
		if n, ok := parseChildSuffix(id); ok && n > lastChild {
			lastChild = n

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

1. Unwrap the chain to see the exact SQL error
2. Check for row locks / concurrent writers on the counter table and serialize writes
3. Verify the counter table schema matches the running bd version
4. Retry the operation after resolving contention or corruption

// confirm the parent's counter row is readable before generating children
var last int
err := store.QueryRowContext(ctx,
	"SELECT last_child FROM child_counters WHERE parent = ?", parentID).Scan(&last)
if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
	return fmt.Errorf("counter row unreadable: %w", err)
}

id, err := repo.NextChildID(ctx, parentID)
if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "read counter") {
	if isLockContention(errors.Unwrap(err)) {
		time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond) // let the competing writer finish
		id, err = repo.NextChildID(ctx, parentID)
	}
}
return id, err

When it happens

Trigger: Calling NextChildID when the SELECT of the counter row for parentID fails with an error other than sql.ErrNoRows — lock contention on the counter row, SQL syntax/type error, dropped connection.

Common situations: Two processes contending for the same parent's counter row under heavy concurrency; counter table corrupted; migration left the counter table in an incompatible state.

Related errors

• db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: probe parent tabl
• db: ChildCounterSQLRepository.NextChildID: scan existing chi
• failed to increment issue counter for prefix %q: %w
• db: LabelSQLRepository.Insert %s/%s: %w
• get next child ID: read counter: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7491543a558dd1e3. Report an issue: GitHub.