pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · RuntimeException

The function call str2RegExp requires 2 arguments.

Error message

The function call str2RegExp requires 2 arguments.

What it means

str2RegExp() requires exactly two arguments (the string and the regular expression). When ArgList.length != 2 the function throws this RuntimeException instead of attempting a match. It is an arity guard thrown before any regex work happens.

Solutions

1. Call str2RegExp with exactly two arguments: str2RegExp(inputString, regexPattern).
2. If the regex may be empty conditionally, guard the call in script code before invoking.
3. Check the script step log for which call site passes the wrong number of arguments.

Example fix

// before
var groups = str2RegExp(value);
// after
var groups = str2RegExp(value, "(\w+)-(\d+)");

if (arguments.length !== 2) throw new RuntimeException('str2RegExp requires exactly 2 arguments');

try { var g = str2RegExp(s, rx); } catch (e) { if (String(e.message).indexOf('requires 2 arguments') >= 0) { logError('call-site arity bug'); } }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling str2RegExp with 0, 1, or 3+ arguments in a Modified Java Script Value step, e.g. str2RegExp(myField) forgetting the pattern argument.

Common situations: Copy-pasted script snippets where an argument was dropped; dynamic argument lists built in JavaScript whose length varies; refactorings that removed the pattern parameter.

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.
• Please provide a valid string to the function call str2date.
• Row.EndOfFileReached
• Row.EndOfFileReadingRow
• Row.ErrorWritingRow

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/37027f10ed8f1c59. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at engine/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/trans/steps/script/ScriptAddedFunctions.java:946

        if ( isNull( ArgList, new int[] { 0, 1 } ) ) {
          return null;
        } else if ( isUndefined( ArgList, new int[] { 0, 1 } ) ) {
          return undefinedValue;
        }
        String strToMatch = (String) ArgList[0];
        Pattern p = Pattern.compile( (String) ArgList[1] );
        Matcher m = p.matcher( strToMatch );
        if ( m.matches() && m.groupCount() > 0 ) {
          strArr = new String[m.groupCount()];
          for ( int i = 1; i <= m.groupCount(); i++ ) {
            strArr[i - 1] = m.group( i );
          }
        }
      } catch ( Exception e ) {
        throw new RuntimeException( e.toString() );
      }
    } else {
      throw new RuntimeException( "The function call str2RegExp requires 2 arguments." );
    }
    return strArr;
  }

  public static void touch( ScriptEngine actualContext, Bindings actualObject, Object[] ArgList,
    Object FunctionContext ) {
    try {
      if ( ArgList.length == 1 && !isNull( ArgList[0] ) && !isUndefined( ArgList[0] ) ) {
        File file = new File( (String) ArgList[0] );
        boolean success = file.createNewFile();
        if ( !success ) {
          file.setLastModified( System.currentTimeMillis() );
        }
      } else {
        throw new RuntimeException( "The function call touch requires 1 valid argument." );
      }
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new RuntimeException( e.toString() );

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