phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Assets\Exceptions\CollectionNotFound

The collection '{name}' does not exist in the manager

Error message

The collection '{name}' does not exist in the manager

What it means

Phalcon\Assets\Manager::get(name) returns a named collection previously created in the manager. Collections live in an in-memory map per Manager instance; if the name is not a key in that map the manager throws CollectionNotFound instead of returning null.

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Assets/Manager.zep:299

        return this->has(name);
    }

    /**
     * Returns a collection by its id.
     *
     * ```php
     * $scripts = $assets->get("js");
     * ```
     *
     * @param string $name
     *
     * @return Collection
     * @throws Exception
     */
    public function get( string name) -> <Collection>
    {
        if unlikely true !== isset(this->collections[name]) {
            throw new CollectionNotFound(name);
        }

        return this->collections[name];
    }

    /**
     * Returns existing collections in the manager
     *
     * @return Collection[]
     */
    public function getCollections() -> <Collection[]>
    {
        return this->collections;
    }

    /**
     * Returns the CSS collection of assets
     *

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Create the collection before retrieving it: `$assets->collection('js')->addJs('js/app.js')` or `$assets->create(...)`
2. Guard with the built-in check: `if ($assets->has('js')) { ... }`
3. List what actually exists: `print_r(array_keys($assets->getCollections()))`
4. Make sure the 'assets' DI service is shared so all code sees the same Manager instance

Example fix

// before
$collection = $assets->get('footerJs'); // CollectionNotFound
// after
$assets->collection('footerJs')->addJs('js/footer.js', true, false);
$collection = $assets->get('footerJs');

if ($assets->has('js')) {
    $collection = $assets->get('js');
} else {
    $collection = $assets->collection('js'); // create on first use
}

try {
    $collection = $assets->get('footerJs');
} catch (\Phalcon\Assets\Exceptions\CollectionNotFound $e) {
    $collection = $assets->collection('footerJs'); // lazy-create then populate
}

When it happens

Trigger: `$assets->get('js')` before any `$assets->create('js', ...)` / `$assets->collection('js')->add(...)`; a typo or case mismatch in the name; calling get() on a fresh Manager instance (DI service configured as shared=false or re-instantiated) after the collection was registered on a different instance.

Common situations: Collections registered in a bootstrap/provider that did not run for the current module; DI definition accidentally non-shared so each injection gets an empty Manager; name drift between template ('footerJs') and provider ('footer-js').

Related errors

• Collection does not have an annotation called '{name}'
• Module '{name}' is not registered in the application
• Asset's content for '{path}' cannot be read
• Path '{path}' is not a valid target path
• Path '{path}' is not a valid target path, it is a directory.

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/36297360098a5562. Report an issue: GitHub.