pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · KettleFileException

: Unable to load file [

Error message

: Unable to load file [

What it means

Translator.loadJava() reads a Java source file to verify an i18n key's usage and throws KettleFileException with the properties filename, java file and key when reading fails. It means the Java file backing a key could not be loaded — usually because the file path derived from the key's package no longer exists or cannot be opened.

Solutions

1. Check the javaFile path in the message exists on disk; reload the Translator configuration with the current source folder.
2. Remove or update stale i18n keys that reference deleted classes/packages.
3. Verify permissions on the source tree.
4. Inspect the chained cause for the exact IO error.

Example fix

// before
// key: org.pentaho.di.legacy.Widget.Messages -> Widget.java deleted
String src = loadJava( key ); // KettleFileException

// after
File java = new File( derivedJavaPath );
if ( !java.exists() ) {
  log.logBasic( "Skipping stale key, source missing: " + derivedJavaPath );
} else {
  String src = loadJava( key );
}

if ( !new File( derivedJavaPath ).isFile() ) {
  log.warn( "Key " + entry + " points to missing source " + derivedJavaPath );
}

try {
  String src = loadJava( entry );
} catch ( KettleFileException e ) {
  log.warn( "Skipping unreadable source for key " + entry + ": " + e.getMessage() );
}

When it happens

Trigger: refreshGrid resolves an i18n key to a Java source file (package -> path) and loadJava() fails: the source file was moved/renamed/deleted, the source folder config is wrong, or an IO error occurs while streaming the file.

Common situations: Keys pointing at classes removed by refactoring; Translator configured against a source folder from an older checkout; packages renamed so the derived Java path is stale.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• i18n.Log.UnableToGetFiles
• package file could not be found for file in folder
• Unable to get all files from directory [
• AccessInput.Log.RequiredFilesMissing
• AvroInput.Error.SchemaError

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b7c7eb71a4aec9f5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at ui/src/main/java/org/pentaho/di/ui/i18n/editor/Translator.java:543

    }

    try {
      String filename = ROOT + "/" + javaFile;
      StringBuilder content = new StringBuilder( 5000 );
      FileInputStream stream = new FileInputStream( filename );

      try {
        int c = 0;
        while ( ( c = stream.read() ) != -1 ) {
          content.append( (char) c );
        }
      } finally {
        stream.close();
      }

      return content.toString();
    } catch ( Exception e ) {
      throw new KettleFileException( propertiesFilename
        + ": Unable to load file [" + javaFile + "] for key [" + entry + "]", e );
    }
  }

  public String getClassname( String key ) {
    int idxDot = key.indexOf( '.' );
    if ( idxDot < 0 ) {
      return "";
    }
    return key.substring( 0, idxDot );
  }

  public String getLocale( String filename ) {
    // src/be/ibridge/kettle/i18n/messages/messages_nl_NL.properties
    int idx = filename.length() - MESSAGES_DIR.length() - 3 - LOCALE_LENGTH;
    return filename.substring( idx, idx + LOCALE_LENGTH );
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to f3058517a1)