hibernate/hibernate-orm · error · QueryException

Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table()

Error message

Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table() on SQL server

What it means

Error "Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table() on SQL server" thrown in hibernate/hibernate-orm.

Source

Thrown at hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/dialect/function/json/SQLServerJsonTableFunction.java:126

	protected void renderColumnSelects(SqlAppender sqlAppender, JsonTableColumnsClause jsonTableColumnsClause, int clauseLevel, SqlAstTranslator<?> walker) {
		int currentClauseLevel = clauseLevel;
		char separator = ' ';
		for ( JsonTableColumnDefinition columnDefinition : jsonTableColumnsClause.getColumnDefinitions() ) {
			sqlAppender.appendSql( separator );
			if ( columnDefinition instanceof JsonTableValueColumnDefinition valueColumnDefinition ) {
				if ( valueColumnDefinition.errorBehavior() != null && valueColumnDefinition.errorBehavior() != JsonValueErrorBehavior.ERROR ) {
					throw new QueryException( "Can't emulate on error clause for value within json_table() on SQL server" );
				}
				sqlAppender.appendSql( 't' );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( clauseLevel );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( '.' );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( valueColumnDefinition.name() );
				// todo: empty behavior?
			}
			else if ( columnDefinition instanceof JsonTableQueryColumnDefinition queryColumnDefinition ) {
				if ( queryColumnDefinition.errorBehavior() != null && queryColumnDefinition.errorBehavior() != JsonQueryErrorBehavior.ERROR ) {
					throw new QueryException( "Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table() on SQL server" );
				}
				if ( queryColumnDefinition.emptyBehavior() == JsonQueryEmptyBehavior.EMPTY_ARRAY
						|| queryColumnDefinition.emptyBehavior() == JsonQueryEmptyBehavior.EMPTY_OBJECT ) {
					sqlAppender.appendSql( "coalesce(" );
				}
				// SQL Server only supports no wildcard in JSON paths, so wrapper can be added statically
				if ( queryColumnDefinition.wrapMode() == JsonQueryWrapMode.WITH_WRAPPER ) {
					sqlAppender.appendSql( "'['+" );
				}
				sqlAppender.appendSql( 't' );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( clauseLevel );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( '.' );
				sqlAppender.appendSql( queryColumnDefinition.name() );
				if ( queryColumnDefinition.wrapMode() == JsonQueryWrapMode.WITH_WRAPPER ) {
					sqlAppender.appendSql( "+']'" );
				}
				if ( queryColumnDefinition.emptyBehavior() == JsonQueryEmptyBehavior.EMPTY_ARRAY ) {
					sqlAppender.appendSql( ",'[]')" );

View on GitHub (pinned to fad1729dce)

Solutions

1. Remove the ON ERROR clause from the json_table column.

When it happens

Trigger: Triggered when the application calls a Hibernate dialect feature that the configured database dialect cannot provide: Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table() on SQL server.

Common situations: Common when running against a database whose dialect lacks this capability, when a mapping or HQL/Criteria query requests unsupported functionality, or when the wrong dialect is configured for the database in use. Error: Can't emulate on error clause for query within json_table() on SQL server.

AI-assisted analysis of hibernate/hibernate-orm@fad1729dce (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/64b030f880e9f1ca. Report an issue: GitHub.