hibernate/hibernate-orm · error · SemanticException

Can't use expression '{} without explicit name in xmlforest

Error message

Can't use expression '{} without explicit name in xmlforest function, because XML element names can only be derived from path expressions.

What it means

Error "Can't use expression '{} without explicit name in xmlforest function, because XML element names can only be derived from path expressions." thrown in hibernate/hibernate-orm.

Source

Thrown at hibernate-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/query/hql/internal/SemanticQueryBuilder.java:3158

		xmlelement.content( visitExpressions( ctx ) );
		return xmlelement;
	}

	@Override
	public SqmExpression<?> visitXmlforestFunction(HqlParser.XmlforestFunctionContext ctx) {
		final ArrayList<SqmExpression<?>> elementExpressions = new ArrayList<>( ctx.getChildCount() >> 1 );
		for ( int i = 2; i < ctx.getChildCount(); i++ ) {
			if ( ctx.getChild( i ) instanceof HqlParser.ExpressionOrPredicateContext exprCtx ) {
				final var expression = (SqmExpression<?>) exprCtx.accept( this );
				if ( i + 2 < ctx.getChildCount() && ctx.getChild( i + 2 ) instanceof HqlParser.IdentifierContext identifierContext ) {
					final String name = visitIdentifier( identifierContext );
					elementExpressions.add( new SqmNamedExpression<>( expression, name ) );
					i += 2;
				}
				else {
					if ( !( expression instanceof SqmPath<?> path )
							|| !( path.getModel() instanceof PersistentAttribute<?, ?> attribute ) ) {
						throw new SemanticException(
								"Can't use expression '" + exprCtx.getText() + " without explicit name in xmlforest function" +
										", because XML element names can only be derived from path expressions.",
								query
						);
					}
					elementExpressions.add( new SqmNamedExpression<>( expression, attribute.getName() ) );
				}
			}
		}
		return nodeBuilder().xmlforest( elementExpressions );
	}

	@Override
	public SqmExpression<?> visitXmlpiFunction(HqlParser.XmlpiFunctionContext ctx) {
		final String name = visitIdentifier( ctx.identifier() );
		final var exprCtx = ctx.expression();
		//noinspection unchecked
		return exprCtx == null

View on GitHub (pinned to fad1729dce)

Solutions

1. Give the expression an explicit name (AS name) in the xmlforest function.
2. Use a path expression so the element name can be derived.

When it happens

Trigger: A runtime precondition of the Hibernate API is violated.

Common situations: Occurs when application code or configuration does not satisfy the documented contract of the API being called.

AI-assisted analysis of hibernate/hibernate-orm@fad1729dce (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e661d874009b1b9c. Report an issue: GitHub.