hashicorp/terraform · error

unrecognized type

Error message

unrecognized type: %s

What it means

Returned by pathFromFlatmapKeyValue when the current type does not match any handled branch (primitive, object, tuple, map, list, set) — i.e. the switch reaches its default. This typically means the type is cty.DynamicPseudoType or a capsule type, neither of which can be navigated by flatmap key segments.

Solutions

1. Inspect the FriendlyName() in the error to identify the offending type.
2. If the type is dynamic, replace it with a concrete type so the path can be navigated, or remove the attribute from RequiresReplace.
3. If a capsule type is involved, encode the value as a concrete primitive (e.g. JSON string) instead.
4. Regenerate the diff/RequiresReplace list against a concrete-typed schema.

Example fix

// before: attribute typed cty.DynamicPseudoType referenced in RequiresReplace
// after: attribute typed cty.String (concrete) so the path is navigable

func typeIsNavigable(ty cty.Type) bool {
    return ty.IsPrimitiveType() || ty.IsObjectType() || ty.IsTupleType() ||
        ty.IsMapType() || ty.IsListType() || ty.IsSetType()
}

func typeIsNavigable(ty cty.Type) bool {
    if ty == cty.DynamicPseudoType { return false }
    return ty.IsPrimitiveType() || ty.IsObjectType() || ty.IsTupleType() ||
        ty.IsMapType() || ty.IsListType() || ty.IsSetType()
}

When it happens

Trigger: Translating a flatmap key against a schema position whose cty type is dynamic or otherwise non-navigable. Reached via requiresReplacePath and the pathFromFlatmapKey* family when descending through a type that has no flatmap representation.

Common situations: Schema attribute typed as cty.DynamicPseudoType appearing inside a RequiresReplace key; legacy state with dynamic-typed slots; custom providers using capsule types that the shim does not understand.

Related errors

• attribute not found
• index out of range in %#v
• invalid step with type %#v
• [ ]
• cannot decode from flatmap

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/terraform@d32a084675 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/edc3daffc14dd628. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at internal/configs/hcl2shim/paths.go:148

func pathFromFlatmapKeyValue(key string, ty cty.Type) (cty.Path, error) {
	var path cty.Path
	var err error

	switch {
	case ty.IsPrimitiveType():
		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid step %q with type %#v", key, ty)
	case ty.IsObjectType():
		path, err = pathFromFlatmapKeyObject(key, ty.AttributeTypes())
	case ty.IsTupleType():
		path, err = pathFromFlatmapKeyTuple(key, ty.TupleElementTypes())
	case ty.IsMapType():
		path, err = pathFromFlatmapKeyMap(key, ty)
	case ty.IsListType():
		path, err = pathFromFlatmapKeyList(key, ty)
	case ty.IsSetType():
		path, err = pathFromFlatmapKeySet(key, ty)
	default:
		err = fmt.Errorf("unrecognized type: %s", ty.FriendlyName())
	}

	if err != nil {
		return path, err
	}

	return path, nil
}

func pathFromFlatmapKeyTuple(key string, etys []cty.Type) (cty.Path, error) {
	var path cty.Path
	var err error

	k, rest := pathSplit(key)

	// we don't need to convert the index keys to paths
	if k == "#" {
		return path, nil

View on GitHub (pinned to d32a084675)