pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

Field nr in file ' ' is called ' ' while it was called ' '…

Error message

Field nr {i} in file '{filename}' is called '{fieldName}' while it was called '{firstFileName}' in the first file

What it means

The SAS Input step validates that every file processed after the first has exactly the same field layout as the first file, since a single row layout is shared for all input files. When field at index i has a different (case-insensitive) name than the same-position field in the first file, processRow throws this KettleException.

Solutions

Open the offending file (named in the message) in a SAS viewer and rename the field to match the first file.
Restructure the transformation to use separate SasInput steps per file schema, then merge rows downstream.
Pre-export the files so all share an identical column layout, then re-run the transformation.

Example fix

// before: files with inconsistent columns read by one step
// after: rename the column in the mismatched SAS file to match the first file,
// or split into two SasInput steps and union the streams

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Compare column layouts before feeding multiple files to one step
List<String> first = layoutOf(files.get(0));
for (File f : files.subList(1, files.size())) {
  List<String> cols = layoutOf(f);
  if (cols.size() != first.size()) throw new IllegalStateException("Column count differs in " + f);
  for (int i = 0; i < cols.size(); i++) {
    if (!cols.get(i).equalsIgnoreCase(first.get(i)))
      throw new IllegalStateException("Field " + i + " mismatch in " + f + ": " + cols.get(i) + " vs " + first.get(i));
  }
}

Prevention

Export all SAS files from the same schema/version and diff column lists before running the transformation.
Keep one SasInput step per file schema; union streams downstream instead of sharing a step.
Automate a pre-check that compares SAS file layouts before scheduling the transformation.

When it happens

Trigger: Running the SasInput step with multiple SAS7BAT files where a later file's column at position i is named differently from the first file's column at position i (comparison is case-insensitive, so only true name differences trigger).

Common situations: Pointing the step at a directory of SAS export files where some exports came from a newer/older schema; files generated by different tools with renamed columns; a typo in one file's column headers.

Understand the failure class

Background: Schema validation failed / invalid input schema: payload rejected because its shape doesn't match the expected schema — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/76bda46782b24e52. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/sasinput/SasInput.java:118

    logBasic( BaseMessages.getString( PKG, "SASInput.Log.OpenedSASFile" ) + " : [" + data.helper + "]" );

    // verify the row layout...
    //
    if ( data.fileLayout == null ) {
      data.fileLayout = data.helper.getRowMeta();
    } else {
      // Verify that all files are of the same file format, this is a requirement...
      //
      if ( data.fileLayout.size() != data.helper.getRowMeta().size() ) {
        throw new KettleException( "All input files need to have the same number of fields. File '"
          + filename + "' has " + data.helper.getRowMeta().size() + " fields while the first file only had "
          + data.fileLayout.size() );
      }
      for ( int i = 0; i < data.fileLayout.size(); i++ ) {
        ValueMetaInterface first = data.fileLayout.getValueMeta( i );
        ValueMetaInterface second = data.helper.getRowMeta().getValueMeta( i );
        if ( !first.getName().equalsIgnoreCase( second.getName() ) ) {
          throw new KettleException( "Field nr "
            + i + " in file '" + filename + "' is called '" + second.getName() + "' while it was called '"
            + first.getName() + "' in the first file" );
        }
        if ( first.getType() != second.getType() ) {
          throw new KettleException( "Field nr "
            + i + " in file '" + filename + "' is of data type '" + second.getTypeDesc() + "' while it was '"
            + first.getTypeDesc() + "' in the first file" );
        }
      }
    }

    // Also make sure that we only read the specified fields, not any other...
    //
    if ( first ) {
      first = false;

      data.fieldIndexes = new ArrayList<Integer>();
      for ( SasInputField field : meta.getOutputFields() ) {

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