laravel/framework · error · RuntimeException

This database driver does not support retrieving columns.

Error message

This database driver does not support retrieving columns.

What it means

Base Grammar::compileColumns() throws RuntimeException when the driver's grammar does not override it. It builds the information-schema query behind Schema::getColumns()/getColumnListing()/getColumnType(). All first-class drivers override it, so hitting it means a custom/incomplete grammar is bound to the connection.

Source

Thrown at src/Illuminate/Database/Schema/Grammars/Grammar.php:140

     * @throws \RuntimeException
     */
    public function compileTypes($schema)
    {
        throw new RuntimeException('This database driver does not support retrieving user-defined types.');
    }

    /**
     * Compile the query to determine the columns.
     *
     * @param  string|null  $schema
     * @param  string  $table
     * @return string
     *
     * @throws \RuntimeException
     */
    public function compileColumns($schema, $table)
    {
        throw new RuntimeException('This database driver does not support retrieving columns.');
    }

    /**
     * Compile the query to determine the indexes.
     *
     * @param  string|null  $schema
     * @param  string  $table
     * @return string
     *
     * @throws \RuntimeException
     */
    public function compileIndexes($schema, $table)
    {
        throw new RuntimeException('This database driver does not support retrieving indexes.');
    }

    /**
     * Compile a vector index key command.

View on GitHub (pinned to bd6b5437e6)

Solutions

  1. Switch to a first-class driver (mysql, pgsql, sqlite, sqlsrv).
  2. If you own the driver, override compileColumns($schema, $table) with the engine's column-catalogue SQL.
  3. Confirm config/database.php maps the connection to the intended driver class.

Example fix

// before — custom grammar missing compileColumns
$cols = Schema::connection('custom')->getColumns('users');

// after
class CustomGrammar extends \Illuminate\Database\Schema\Grammars\Grammar
{
    public function compileColumns($schema, $table)
    {
        return 'select ... from information_schema.columns where table_name = ...';
    }
}
Defensive patterns

Strategy: type-guard

Validate before calling

$grammar = Schema::getConnection()->getSchemaGrammar();
if ((new \ReflectionMethod($grammar, 'compileColumns'))->getDeclaringClass()->getName()
    === \Illuminate\Database\Schema\Grammars\Grammar::class) {
    throw new \RuntimeException('Column listing unsupported on '.DB::connection()->getDriverName());
}
return Schema::getColumns($table);

Type guard

function driverSupportsColumnListing(): bool
{
    $g = Schema::getConnection()->getSchemaGrammar();

    return (new \ReflectionMethod($g, 'compileColumns'))
        ->getDeclaringClass()->getName() !== \Illuminate\Database\Schema\Grammars\Grammar::class;
}

Try / catch

try {
    $cols = Schema::getColumns($table);
} catch (\RuntimeException $e) {
    // surface — caller must use a supported driver
    throw $e;
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling Schema::getColumns($table), Schema::getColumnListing($table), or Schema::getColumnType($table,$col) on a Connection whose schema grammar is the base Grammar or a subclass that did not override compileColumns.

Common situations: Custom driver extending Grammar without implementing compileColumns; community driver that lags the framework version; misconfigured connection defaulting to a stub.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of laravel/framework@bd6b5437e6 (2026-08-06). Data as JSON: /data/errors/a2af630a7e1f259a.json. Report an issue: GitHub.