hcengineering/platform · error

Descriptor is not found in the model

Error message

Descriptor is not found in the model

What it means

createSpaceType creates a SpaceType object whose Data carries a descriptor reference. Before creating the object, the code looks the descriptor up in the client's model via findObject(data.descriptor); if no such model object exists it throws this error. It is a guard against creating space types whose descriptor was never registered in the model (e.g. by a plugin that isn't loaded).

Source

Thrown at plugins/setting/src/utils.ts:41

  Space,
  SpaceType,
  TxOperations,
  TypeAny as TypeAnyType,
  getRoleAttributeLabel
} from '@hcengineering/core'
import { getEmbeddedLabel, IntlString } from '@hcengineering/platform'

import setting from './index'

export async function createSpaceType<T extends SpaceType> (
  client: TxOperations,
  data: Omit<Data<T>, 'targetClass'>,
  _id: Ref<T>,
  _class: Ref<Class<T>> = core.class.SpaceType
): Promise<Ref<T>> {
  const descriptorObj = client.getModel().findObject(data.descriptor)
  if (descriptorObj === undefined) {
    throw new Error('Descriptor is not found in the model')
  }

  const baseClassClazz = client.getHierarchy().getClass(descriptorObj.baseClass)
  // NOTE: it is important for this id to be consistent when re-creating the same
  // space type with the same id as it will happen during every migration if type is created by the system
  const spaceTypeMixinId = `${_id}:type:mixin` as Ref<Class<Space>>
  await client.createDoc(
    core.class.Mixin,
    core.space.Model,
    {
      extends: descriptorObj.baseClass,
      kind: ClassifierKind.MIXIN,
      label: getEmbeddedLabel(data.name),
      icon: baseClassClazz.icon
    },
    spaceTypeMixinId
  )

View on GitHub (pinned to 63e28dc964)

Solutions

1. Verify the descriptor plugin defining the Ref<SpaceTypeDescriptor> is included in the client's plugin configuration and loaded before createSpaceType is called
2. Print client.getModel().findObject(data.descriptor) and compare the id with the constant exported by the descriptor plugin to catch typos
3. If the descriptor was renamed/moved, update the caller to the new exported id instead of a string literal
4. Ensure the model is built with all required plugins (check the plugin list passed to the model builder in this app/test)

Example fix

// before
await createSpaceType(client, { descriptor: 'myapp:desc:Custom' as Ref<SpaceTypeDescriptor>, name: 'Custom', icon: ... })
// after
const descriptor = myPlugin.descriptors.Custom // exported, type-checked id
if (client.getModel().findObject(descriptor) === undefined) {
  throw new Error('Plugin providing descriptor ' + descriptor + ' is not loaded')
}
await createSpaceType(client, { descriptor, name: 'Custom', icon: ... })

function canCreateSpaceType<T extends SpaceType>(client: TxOperations, data: Data<T>): boolean {
  return client.getModel().findObject(data.descriptor) !== undefined
}
// call before: if (!canCreateSpaceType(client, data)) throw new Error('Descriptor plugin not loaded')

function isDescriptorInModel<T extends SpaceType>(client: TxOperations, ref: Ref<SpaceTypeDescriptor>): ref is Ref<SpaceTypeDescriptor> {
  return client.getModel().findObject(ref) !== undefined
}

try {
  await createSpaceType(client, data, _id)
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof Error && err.message === 'Descriptor is not found in the model') {
    console.error('Descriptor missing from model:', data.descriptor, '- check plugin list')
  }
  throw err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling createSpaceType with data.descriptor set to a Ref<SpaceTypeDescriptor> that is absent from the model — typically because the plugin defining that descriptor is not installed/enabled, the descriptor id is misspelled, or client.getModel() is built from an incomplete plugin list.

Common situations: Adding a custom space type after removing/renaming its descriptor plugin; using a descriptor from another product/plugin version; tests or migrations running with a trimmed plugin set that excludes the descriptor's plugin.

Related errors

• category is not found in model
• ancestors not found: ${_class}
• class not found: ${_class}
• Map is not allowed in model
• Set is not allowed in model

AI-assisted analysis of hcengineering/platform@63e28dc964 (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3c81dac5c3d09f92. Report an issue: GitHub.