p-e-w/heretic · error · ValueError

The "column" field is required for datasets: {path}

Error message

The "column" field is required for datasets: {path}

What it means

Dataset sources must declare which column of the dataset contains the prompts. load_prompts raises this ValueError when the specification names a dataset but leaves `column` unset, because the library cannot infer which field holds the prompt text.

Source

Thrown at src/heretic/utils.py:192

    if os.path.isfile(path):
        # Plain text file with one prompt per line. Empty lines are ignored.
        with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as file:
            prompts = [line.strip() for line in file if line.strip()]

        # The split is optional for text files. When given, it selects a subset
        # of the lines using slice notation (e.g. "[:400]"). A synthetic split
        # name is prepended because ReadInstruction expects a named split.
        if split_str is not None:
            start, end = get_split_slice(f"_{split_str}", len(prompts))
            prompts = prompts[start:end]
    else:
        # All dataset sources require an explicit split and column.
        if split_str is None:
            raise ValueError(f'The "split" field is required for datasets: {path}')

        if specification.column is None:
            raise ValueError(f'The "column" field is required for datasets: {path}')

        if is_hf_path(path):
            # Pin to the latest commit if not already set, so the exact dataset
            # version is recorded for reproducibility.
            if specification.commit is None:
                try:
                    specification.commit = huggingface_hub.dataset_info(path).sha
                except Exception as error:
                    # Fetching the commit hash requires internet access, but the
                    # dataset itself may be fully cached locally. Proceed without
                    # pinning; an unpinned dataset disables the reproducibility
                    # offer during upload.
                    print(
                        f"[yellow]Warning: Could not fetch the latest commit hash for dataset [bold]{path}[/] ({error}). "
                        "The dataset version will not be pinned.[/]"
                    )
            dataset = load_dataset(
                path,

View on GitHub (pinned to bedb94ef11)

Solutions

1. Add a `column` field naming the prompt column (e.g. "question").
2. Inspect the dataset's schema/features to confirm the exact column name.
3. Re-run after aligning column with the actual dataset fields.

Example fix

// before
{"dataset": {"path": "openai/gsm8k", "split": "test"}}
// after
{"dataset": {"path": "openai/gsm8k", "split": "test", "column": "question"}}

cfg = spec["dataset"]
assert cfg.get("column"), 'dataset config must include a "column" field'

def dataset_config_is_complete(cfg: dict) -> bool:
    return bool(cfg.get("split")) and bool(cfg.get("column"))

try:
    prompts = load_prompts(specification)
except ValueError as e:
    if '"column" field is required' in str(e):
        print(f"Add column to dataset config for {specification.path}")
    else:
        raise

When it happens

Trigger: Loading a dataset path in the prompt config without a `column` field, even when `split` is provided.

Common situations: Dataset schemas where the prompt column is named question/prompt/text/something custom; switching datasets without updating the column name.

Related errors

• The "split" field is required for datasets: {path}
• Plugin '{name}' does not export a class named '{class_name}'
• You must append the plugin class name to the filepath like t
• File-based plugin must use the form 'path/to/plugin.py:Class
• Import-based plugin must use the form 'fully.qualified.modul

AI-assisted analysis of p-e-w/heretic@bedb94ef11 (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e7d556ca8f567c6d. Report an issue: GitHub.