pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

Error getting fields from module [

Error message

Error getting fields from module [

What it means

Thrown by SalesforceInsertDialog when fetching field metadata for the selected Salesforce module fails. It creates a Salesforce connection, calls connection.getFields(selectedModule), and wraps any exception (connection failure, invalid module name, API error) into a KettleException including the module name.

Solutions

  1. Verify Salesforce URL, username and password in the step dialog and test the connection.
  2. Re-select the module in the dialog so the object list refreshes against the current org.
  3. Confirm the user has API access and read permission on the object (field-level security).
  4. Check network/proxy connectivity to the Salesforce instance; increase the connection timeout.
  5. Enable Salesforce debug logs to see the exact API fault behind the wrapped exception.

Example fix

// before
return connection.getFields( selectedModule );
// after
if ( connection.getObjects() != null && Arrays.asList(connection.getObjects()).contains(selectedModule) ) {
  return connection.getFields( selectedModule );
}
throw new KettleException( "Module [" + selectedModule + "] does not exist in Salesforce org" );
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

// before calling getFields
List<String> modules = Arrays.asList( connection.getObjects() );
if ( !modules.contains( selectedModule ) ) { throw new KettleException("Module " + selectedModule + " not found"); }
if ( url == null || !url.startsWith("https") ) { throw new KettleException("Invalid Salesforce URL"); }

Try / catch

try { fields = getFields(selectedModule); } catch ( KettleException e ) { logError("Salesforce metadata fetch failed: " + e.getCause().getMessage()); // prompt user to re-login / re-select module }

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling getFields() in the Insert step dialog when: credentials/URL are wrong so getConnection() or connect() fails, the selectedModule no longer exists or was renamed in Salesforce, or the Salesforce API returns an error (INVALID_FIELD, timeouts, session expired).

Common situations: User renamed/deleted a Salesforce object after saving the transformation; sandbox vs production URL mismatch; expired password or locked account; network/firewall blocking the Salesforce endpoint.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/48563796cfd3a4fb. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/salesforce/core/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/trans/steps/salesforceinsert/SalesforceInsertDialog.java:862

        Utils.resolvePassword( transMeta, wPassword.getText() ) );
    int realTimeOut = Const.toInt( transMeta.environmentSubstitute( wTimeOut.getText() ), 0 );
    connection.setTimeOut( realTimeOut );
    // connect to Salesforce
    connection.connect();

    return connection;
  }

  private String[] getFieldNames() throws KettleException {
    SalesforceConnection connection = null;
    String selectedModule = transMeta.environmentSubstitute( wModule.getText() );
    try {
      // Define a new Salesforce connection
      connection = getConnection();
      // return fieldsname for the module
      return connection.getFields( selectedModule );
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleException( "Error getting fields from module [" + selectedModule + "]!", e );
    } finally {
      if ( connection != null ) {
        try {
          connection.close();
        } catch ( Exception e ) {
          // Ignore close errors
        }
      }
    }
  }

  /**
   * Reads in the fields from the previous steps and from the ONE next step and opens an EnterMappingDialog with this
   * information. After the user did the mapping, those information is put into the Select/Rename table.
   */
  private void generateMappings() {

    if ( !checkInput() ) {

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