pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · RuntimeException

The function call str2date requires 1, 2, 3, or 4 arguments.

Error message

The function call str2date requires 1, 2, 3, or 4 arguments.

What it means

str2date only supports 1, 2, 3, or 4 arguments (date string, optional format, optional locale, optional timezone). Calling it with 0 or 5+ arguments falls into the switch default and throws this RuntimeException.

Solutions

1. Call str2date with 1-4 arguments: the date string at minimum.
2. Remove extra arguments; format/locale/timezone are positional.
3. If you need more options, pre-process the string in script instead of adding arguments.
4. Check the script step's generated code (e.g. compatibility flags) that may alter argument lists.

Example fix

// before
var d = str2date(s, 'yyyy-MM-dd', 'en', 'UTC', 'extra');
// after
var d = str2date(s, 'yyyy-MM-dd', 'en', 'UTC');

if (arguments.length < 1 || arguments.length > 4) throw new Error('str2date requires 1-4 arguments, got ' + arguments.length);

try { var d = str2date.apply(null, args.slice(0, 4)); } catch (e) { if (String(e.message).indexOf('requires 1, 2, 3, or 4 arguments') >= 0) { throw new Error('bad str2date call, args=' + args.length); } throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking str2date() with no arguments, or with 5+ arguments (e.g. accidentally passing extra parameters), from a JavaScript script step.

Common situations: Typos or refactored scripts leaving stray arguments; misunderstanding the signature and passing extra options; generated/templated script code emitting wrong argument counts.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• Please provide a valid date to the function call date2str.
• Row.EndOfFileReached
• Row.EndOfFileReadingRow
• Row.ErrorWritingRow
• Row.RowError

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0bd15a1caf048363. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/script/ScriptAddedFunctions.java:1082

          // If the timezone is not recognized, java will automatically
          // take GMT.
          TimeZone tz = TimeZone.getTimeZone( sArg4 );

          if ( sArg3.length() == 2 ) {
            Locale dfLocale = EnvUtil.createLocale( sArg3 );
            dfFormatter = new SimpleDateFormat( sArg2, dfLocale );
            dfFormatter.setTimeZone( tz );
            oRC = dfFormatter.parseObject( sArg1 );
          } else {
            throw new RuntimeException( "Locale " + sArg3 + " is not 2 characters long." );
          }
        } catch ( Exception e ) {
          throw new RuntimeException( "Could not apply the local format for locale "
            + sArg3 + " with the given format " + sArg2 + " on the string for " + sArg1 + " : " + e.getMessage() );
        }
        break;
      default:
        throw new RuntimeException( "The function call str2date requires 1, 2, 3, or 4 arguments." );
    }
    return oRC;
  }

  public static Object date2str( ScriptEngine actualContext, Bindings actualObject, Object[] ArgList,
    Object FunctionContext ) {
    Object oRC = new Object();
    switch ( ArgList.length ) {
      case 0:
        throw new RuntimeException( "Please provide a valid date to the function call date2str." );
      case 1:
        try {
          if ( isNull( ArgList ) ) {
            return null;
          } else if ( isUndefined( ArgList ) ) {
            return undefinedValue;
          }
          java.util.Date dArg1 = (java.util.Date) ArgList[0];

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