pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleXMLException

ExecSQLRowMeta.Exception.UnableToLoadStepInfoFromXML

Error message

ExecSQLRowMeta.Exception.UnableToLoadStepInfoFromXML

What it means

KettleXMLException thrown by ExecSQLRowMeta.readData() (invoked via loadXML) when an unexpected Exception occurs while parsing the step's XML node (read_field, sqlFromfile, sendOneStatement attributes). It wraps the parse exception so the transformation cannot load from its .ktr file.

Solutions

  1. Open the .ktr in an XML editor and validate it is well-formed; fix the ExecSQLRow step node.
  2. Check getCause() of KettleXMLException for the exact DOM/parse error and line.
  3. Recreate the step in Spoon and re-save the transformation.
  4. Restore the .ktr from version control/backup.

Example fix

// before: malformed hand-edited node
<read_field>true</read_field> <!-- missing wrapper -->
// after: well-formed step XML
<read_field>Y</read_field>
<sqlFromfile>N</sqlFromfile>
<sendOneStatement>Y</sendOneStatement>
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder().parse(new File(ktrPath)); // validate well-formedness before loading

Try / catch

try { transMeta = new TransMeta(ktrPath); } catch (KettleXMLException e) { log.error("ktr parse failed: " + e.getCause(), e); }

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: loadXML()/readData() hits an exception in XMLHandler.getTagValue parsing — malformed .ktr XML, missing stepnode structure, or DOM error while reading the ExecSQLRow step's node.

Common situations: Hand-edited or truncated .ktr file; XML saved by an older/newer Pentaho version with unexpected structure; file encoding corruption; copy-paste of step XML between transformations stripped attributes.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/38b8753eb3b4cd4d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/execsqlrow/ExecSQLRowMeta.java:265

    this.databasesList = databases;
    try {
      String csize;
      String con = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "connection" );
      databaseMeta = DatabaseMeta.findDatabase( databases, con );
      csize = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "commit" );
      commitSize = Const.toInt( csize, 0 );
      sqlField = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "sql_field" );

      insertField = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "insert_field" );
      updateField = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "update_field" );
      deleteField = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "delete_field" );
      readField = XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "read_field" );
      sqlFromfile = "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "sqlFromfile" ) );

      sendOneStatement =
        "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( Const.NVL( XMLHandler.getTagValue( stepnode, "sendOneStatement" ), "Y" ) );
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleXMLException( BaseMessages.getString(
        PKG, "ExecSQLRowMeta.Exception.UnableToLoadStepInfoFromXML" ), e );
    }
  }

  public void setDefault() {
    sqlFromfile = false;
    commitSize = 1;
    databaseMeta = null;
    sqlField = null;
    sendOneStatement = true;
  }

  @Override
  public void getFields( Bowl bowl, RowMetaInterface r, String name, RowMetaInterface[] info, StepMeta nextStep,
    VariableSpace space, Repository repository, IMetaStore metaStore ) throws KettleStepException {
    RowMetaAndData add =
      ExecSQL.getResultRow( new Result(), getUpdateField(), getInsertField(), getDeleteField(), getReadField() );

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