pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleStepException

context.getMessage()

Error message

context.getMessage()

What it means

In PentahoReportingOutput.processReport, when the report export task reports a StatusType.ERROR status, the step deletes the partially written target file and rethrows the underlying cause if present, or throws a KettleStepException wrapping context.getMessage(). This surfaces the real render failure from the background export thread to the Kettle step lifecycle so the transformation step fails cleanly.

Solutions

1. Inspect the step log above this message for the root cause from the export task; fix the underlying render/write error first
2. Verify the target file/folder is writable and not locked by another process (open PDF viewers, editors)
3. Check the report source file (prpt) path and the selected output processor type are valid
4. If the message is too generic because no cause was attached, enable detailed step logging to capture the export task exception

Example fix

// before
throw new KettleStepException( context.getMessage() );
// after
Throwable cause = context.getCause();
if ( cause == null ) {
  cause = new KettleStepException( context.getMessage() );
}
throw new KettleStepException( BaseMessages.getString( PKG,
  "PentahoReportingOutput.Exception.UnexpectedErrorRenderingReport",
  sourceFilename, targetFilename ), cause );

// before running the step, ensure target is writable
FileObject target = KettleVFS.getInstance( bowl ).getFileObject( targetPath, transMeta );
if ( target.exists() && !target.delete() ) {
  throw new KettleException( "Target locked/unremovable: " + targetPath );
}

boolean isErrorStatus(ExportStatus ctx) {
  return ctx != null && ctx.getStatusType() == StatusType.ERROR;
}

try {
  processRow(...);
} catch ( KettleStepException e ) {
  logError( "Report export failed: " + e.getMessage(), e ); // inspect cause chain
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: The ReportExportTask run() set status ERROR via the status listener (e.g. target file could not be deleted/created, parent folder missing, render exception) and either had no cause or the caller rethrows context.getMessage() as KettleStepException.

Common situations: Report rendering fails mid-export (bad report template, invalid output processor type, filesystem errors writing the target file); target file locked by another process so delete fails; export thread crashed without attaching a cause.

Understand the failure class

Background: "failed to write file", "Could not save figure", "Error saving remote file" — file write failed: causes and fixes across languages and libraries — this error's family across 38 libraries.

Related errors

• AutoDoc.Exception.UnableToRenderReport
• AvroInputDialog.Error.KettleFileException
• Error during processing a row
• Exception reading line using NIO:
• Field could not be found in the input rows.

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c0bbedfdb416cd44. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/pentaho-reporting/impl/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/pentahoreporting/PentahoReportingOutput.java:455

                return new StreamReportProcessor( report, target );
              }
            };
            break;
          default:
            exportTask = null;
            break;
        }

        if ( exportTask != null ) {
          exportTask.run();
        }

        if ( context.getStatusType() == StatusType.ERROR ) {
          KettleVFS.getInstance( getTransMeta().getBowl() ).getFileObject( targetFilename, getTransMeta() ).delete();
          if ( context.getCause() != null ) {
            throw context.getCause();
          }
          throw new KettleStepException( context.getMessage() );
        }

        ResultFile resultFile =
          new ResultFile(
            ResultFile.FILE_TYPE_GENERAL, KettleVFS.getInstance( getTransMeta().getBowl() )
            .getFileObject( targetFilename, getTransMeta() ),
            getTransMeta().getName(), getStepname() );
        resultFile.setComment( "This file was created with a Pentaho Reporting Output step" );
        addResultFile( resultFile );

      } catch ( Throwable e ) {
        throw new KettleException( BaseMessages.getString(
          PKG, "PentahoReportingOutput.Exception.UnexpectedErrorRenderingReport", sourceFilename, targetFilename,
          outputProcessorType.getDescription() ), e );
      }
    } finally {
      //Restore the original class loader
      Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader( old );

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