phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Translate\Exceptions\ImmutableObject

Translate is an immutable ArrayAccess object

Error message

Translate is an immutable ArrayAccess object

What it means

Phalcon translate adapters implement ArrayAccess read-only: offsetSet() unconditionally throws Phalcon\Translate\Exceptions\ImmutableObject (phalcon/Translate/Adapter/AbstractAdapter.zep:108). Translations are loaded once at construction (CSV file, array, gettext catalogs) and the dictionary cannot be mutated through array syntax afterwards.

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Translate/Adapter/AbstractAdapter.zep:108

     * Returns the translation related to the given key
     *
     * @param string $offset
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function offsetGet(mixed offset) -> string
    {
        return this->query(offset);
    }

    /**
     * Sets a translation value
     *
     * @throws ImmutableObject
     */
    public function offsetSet(var offset, var value) -> void
    {
        throw new ImmutableObject();
    }

    /**
     * Unsets a translation from the dictionary
     *
     * @throws ImmutableObject
     */
    public function offsetUnset(var offset) -> void
    {
        throw new ImmutableObject();
    }

    /**
     * Returns the translation string of the given key
     *
     * @phpstan-param translate_placeholders $placeholders
     */
    public function t( string translateKey, array placeholders = []) -> string

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Rebuild the adapter with the modified source data (merge into the content array / regenerate the CSV) and swap the service in the DI container.
2. Apply overrides before construction by merging arrays, not after.
3. Catch Phalcon\Translate\Exceptions\ImmutableObject if third-party code writes to ArrayAccess and you cannot change it.

Example fix

// before
$t['greeting'] = 'Hi'; // throws ImmutableObject

// after
$messages = require app_path('messages/en.php');
$messages['greeting'] = 'Hi';
$t = new NativeArray($interpolatorFactory, ['content' => $messages]);

use Phalcon\Translate\Exceptions\ImmutableObject;

try {
    $t[$key] = $value; // third-party code that mutates ArrayAccess
} catch (ImmutableObject $e) {
    $logger->warning('Translate adapters are immutable; rebuild the adapter instead');
}

When it happens

Trigger: $translate['greeting'] = 'Hello'; on any Phalcon\Translate\Adapter\* instance (NativeArray, Csv, Gettext). Triggered directly or via code that blindly writes to ArrayAccess objects (caches, hydrators, serializers).

Common situations: Trying to override one string for a test or A/B experiment; attempting lazy addition of new keys at runtime; porting code that used a plain array for translations before introducing the adapter.

Related errors

• Cannot find translation key: {key}
• Parameter 'content' is required
• Error opening translation file '{file}'
• This class requires the gettext extension for PHP
• Parameter 'locale' is required

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/84d3cdb81f024393. Report an issue: GitHub.