phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Mvc\Model\Exceptions\DataTypeNotDefined

Column '{column}' have not defined a data type in '{classNam

Error message

Column '{column}' have not defined a data type in '{className}'

What it means

Thrown by Model::doLowUpdate() (phalcon/Mvc/Model.zep:4479) in the dynamic-update branch: to decide whether a field changed, the code compares the current value with the kept snapshot using the field's data type, and metaData->getDataTypes() has no entry for that field. The exception class is Phalcon\Mvc\Model\Exceptions\DataTypeNotDefined. The comparison path only runs when a snapshot value exists and both values are non-null.

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Mvc/Model.zep:4479

                        if !fetch snapshotValue, snapshot[attributeField] {
                            let changed = true;
                        } else {
                            /**
                             * See https://github.com/phalcon/cphalcon/issues/3247
                             * Take a TEXT column with value '4' and replace it by
                             * the value '4.0'. For PHP '4' and '4.0' are the same.
                             * We can't use simple comparison...
                             *
                             * We must use the type of snapshotValue.
                             */
                            if value === null {
                                let changed = snapshotValue !== null;
                            } else {
                                if snapshotValue === null {
                                    let changed = true;
                                } else {
                                    if unlikely !fetch dataType, dataTypes[field] {
                                        throw new DataTypeNotDefined(field, get_class(this));
                                    }

                                    /**
                                    * Get actual values before comparison
                                    */
                                    if is_object(snapshotValue) && snapshotValue instanceof RawValue {
                                        let snapshotValue = snapshotValue->getValue();
                                    }

                                    let updateValue = value;
                                    if is_object(value) && value instanceof RawValue {
                                        let updateValue = value->getValue();
                                    }

                                    switch dataType {

                                        case Column::TYPE_BOOLEAN:
                                            let changed = (bool) snapshotValue !== (bool) updateValue;

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Clear the model metadata cache so getDataTypes() covers every attribute
2. In manual metadata, add the field to the dataTypes map (e.g. Column::TYPE_VARCHAR) alongside bind types
3. Ensure keepSnapshots/dynamicUpdate models run against metadata generated from the same schema version

Example fix

// before
// custom metadata missing data type for 'coupon_code'
$invoice->couponCode = 'SAVE10';
$invoice->save(); // DataTypeNotDefined during snapshot compare

// after
$this->data['dataTypes'] = [
    ...
    'coupon_code' => Column::TYPE_VARCHAR,
];
$invoice->save();

$metaData = $model->getModelsMetaData();
$dataTypes = $metaData->getDataTypes($model);
foreach ($metaData->getNonPrimaryKeyAttributes($model) as $field) {
    if (!isset($dataTypes[$field])) {
        // dynamic-update comparison needs a data type for every field
        $metaData->reset();
        break;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Updating a model with dynamic update plus keep snapshots (modelsManager->keepSnapshots(true)) where the data-types metadata map lacks a field. The snapshot comparison at the switch on dataType then cannot run.

Common situations: Adding a column to the table and not flushing metadata before editing loaded models; custom metadata providers that implement getBindTypes() but not (or incompletely) getDataTypes(); schema drift between the environment that filled the cache and the current one.

Related errors

• Identity column '{identityField}' isn't part of the table co
• Column '{column}' isn't part of the table columns in '{class
• The meta-data is invalid or is corrupt
• A dependency injection container is required to access inter
• Invalid meta-data for model {modelName}

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1bc6ca4c9025fac3. Report an issue: GitHub.