pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleException

<toString()> : Unable to de-serialize index storage type…

Error message

<toString()> : Unable to de-serialize index storage type from XML for data type <getType()>

What it means

Thrown by ValueMetaBase when reading value metadata from XML: the <index> element lists values whose data type is not one of the supported indexed types (String, Number, Integer, Date, Boolean, BigNumber, Binary). Kettle only allows these types for an index storage type, so any other type makes de-serialization impossible.

Solutions

1. Open the transformation/step XML and fix the <type> element of the indexed value meta to a supported type (2=Number,3=String,4=Date,5=Boolean,6=Integer,7=Bignumber,8=Binary)
2. Regenerate the metadata from the GUI instead of hand-editing XML
3. Verify both writer and reader use compatible Pentaho/Kettle versions
4. Catch KettleException during XML load and log the value meta name (toString()) to locate the offending field

Example fix

// before (in .ktr XML inside <index>)
<type>0</type>  <!-- TYPE_NONE, unsupported for index -->
// after
<type>3</type>  <!-- TYPE_STRING -->

// before XML load
int type = Integer.parseInt(typeElement.getText());
java.util.Set<Integer> allowed = new java.util.HashSet<>(java.util.Arrays.asList(2,3,4,5,6,7,8));
if (!allowed.contains(type)) {
  throw new IllegalArgumentException("Index storage type " + type + " not supported");
}

// Java has no runtime type guards; validate the parsed type value
static boolean isIndexableType(int type) {
  switch (type) {
    case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_NUMBER: case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_STRING:
    case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_DATE: case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_BOOLEAN:
    case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_INTEGER: case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_BIGNUMBER:
    case ValueMetaInterface.TYPE_BINARY: return true;
    default: return false;
  }
}

try {
  rowMeta = new RowMeta(xmlStream);
} catch (KettleException e) {
  log.error("Bad indexed value meta in XML: " + e.getMessage(), e);
  throw new StepInitializationException(e);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the XML de-serialization path (e.g. row metadata read via XMLHandler / loadXML) on a ValueMetaBase whose type field is TYPE_NONE, TYPE_SERIALIZABLE, or any type not handled by the index switch; typically produced by hand-edited or corrupted transformation XML where <type> in an indexed value meta is wrong.

Common situations: Editing a .ktr/.ktr XML file manually and setting an invalid type for an indexed field; metadata written by a newer/older Kettle version with a type the reader doesn't recognize; corrupted repository export.

Related errors

• ColumnExistsMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfo
• CreditCardValidatorMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfo
• CubeOutputMeta.Exception.UnableToLoadStepInfo
• DelayMeta.Exception.UnableToReadStepInfo
• DynamicSQLRowMeta.Exception.UnableToLoadStepInfo

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d7662f3b4b216533. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at core/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/core/row/value/ValueMetaBase.java:293

                index[i] = Double.parseDouble( valueString );
                break;
              case TYPE_INTEGER:
                index[i] = Long.parseLong( valueString );
                break;
              case TYPE_DATE:
                index[i] = XMLHandler.stringToDate( valueString );
                break;
              case TYPE_BIGNUMBER:
                index[i] = new BigDecimal( valueString );
                break;
              case TYPE_BOOLEAN:
                index[i] = Boolean.valueOf( "Y".equalsIgnoreCase( valueString ) );
                break;
              case TYPE_BINARY:
                index[i] = XMLHandler.stringToBinary( valueString );
                break;
              default:
                throw new KettleException( toString()
                  + " : Unable to de-serialize index storage type from XML for data type " + getType() );
            }
          }
        }
        break;

      case STORAGE_TYPE_BINARY_STRING:
        // Load the storage meta data...
        //
        Node storageMetaNode = XMLHandler.getSubNode( node, "storage-meta" );
        Node storageValueMetaNode = XMLHandler.getSubNode( storageMetaNode, XML_META_TAG );
        if ( storageValueMetaNode != null ) {
          storageMetadata = new ValueMetaBase( storageValueMetaNode );
        }
        break;

      default:
        break;

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