pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleDatabaseException

Couldn't get field info from [" + sql + "]" + Const.CR

Error message

Couldn't get field info from [" + sql + "]" + Const.CR

What it means

getQueryFields() builds field metadata by preparing the SQL and reading its PreparedStatementMetaData; any Exception in that process is wrapped as this KettleDatabaseException including the offending SQL. It means Kettle could not determine the result fields for the given query.

Solutions

1. Validate the SQL manually against the database before calling getQueryFields
2. Check the wrapped cause for the precise SQL error
3. Reconnect the Database if the session was closed
4. Ensure all referenced tables/columns exist with correct casing

Example fix

// before
RowMetaInterface rm = db.getQueryFields("SELCT * FROM t", false, null, null);
// after
RowMetaInterface rm = db.getQueryFields("SELECT * FROM t", false, null, null);

// sanity-check SQL before handing to getQueryFields
if (sql == null || sql.trim().isEmpty()) {
  throw new IllegalArgumentException("empty SQL");
}

try {
  RowMetaInterface rm = db.getQueryFields(sql, false, null, null);
} catch (KettleDatabaseException e) {
  log.error("could not prepare: " + sql + " cause: " + e.getCause(), e);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Any exception while sqlRowset/getQueryFields prepares the statement or reads its metadata — syntax errors, unknown tables/columns in the SQL, closed connections.

Common situations: Dynamically generated SQL with typos, queries referencing renamed columns, using the method on a disconnected Database, or SQL the driver cannot prepare without executing.

Understand the failure class

Background: "query failed", "%w: SQL error" — wrapped database query errors in Go libraries explained — this error's family across 3 libraries.

Related errors

• Problem encountered determining query fields:
• An error occurred executing SQL:
• Couldn't execute SQL:
• Couldn't find any rows because of an error :
• Couldn't get a result because of an error :

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6c7c9fb4ceeac6a0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at core/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/core/database/Database.java:2841

          try {
            //
            // See PDI-14893
            // If we're in this private fallback method, it's because the databasemeta returns false for
            // supportsPreparedStatementMetadataRetrieval() or because we got an exception trying to do
            // it the other way. In either case, there is no reason for us to ever try getting the prepared
            // statement's metadata. The right answer is to directly get the resultset metadata.
            //
            ResultSetMetaData metadata = r.getMetaData();
            fields = getRowInfo( metadata, false, false );
          } finally { // should always use a try/finally to avoid leaks
            r.close();
          }
        } finally { // should always use a try/finally to avoid leaks
          ps.close();
        }
      }
    } catch ( Exception ex ) {
      throw new KettleDatabaseException( "Couldn't get field info from [" + sql + "]" + Const.CR, ex );
    }

    return fields;
  }

  public void closeQuery( ResultSet res ) throws KettleDatabaseException {
    // close everything involved in the query!
    try {
      if ( res != null ) {
        res.close();
      }
      if ( selStmt != null ) {
        selStmt.close();
        selStmt = null;
      }
      if ( pstmt != null ) {
        pstmt.close();
        pstmt = null;

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