prestodb/presto · error · SemanticException

CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED

CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED

Error message

Session catalog must be set

What it means

CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED semantic error thrown by MetadataUtil.createCatalogName when the session has no catalog set (USE catalog not issued and no catalog-qualified name given). Presto requires a catalog to resolve an unqualified target name in catalog-management statements.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/metadata/MetadataUtil.java:118

        return value;
    }

    public static ColumnMetadata findColumnMetadata(ConnectorTableMetadata tableMetadata, String columnName)
    {
        for (ColumnMetadata columnMetadata : tableMetadata.getColumns()) {
            if (columnName.equals(columnMetadata.getName())) {
                return columnMetadata;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }

    public static String createCatalogName(Session session, Node node)
    {
        Optional<String> sessionCatalog = session.getCatalog();

        if (!sessionCatalog.isPresent()) {
            throw new SemanticException(CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED, node, "Session catalog must be set");
        }

        return sessionCatalog.get();
    }

    public static CatalogSchemaName createCatalogSchemaName(Session session, Node node, Optional<QualifiedName> schema, Metadata metadata)
    {
        String catalogName = session.getCatalog().orElse(null);
        String schemaName = session.getSchema().orElse(null);

        if (schema.isPresent()) {
            List<Identifier> parts = schema.get().getOriginalParts();
            if (parts.size() > 2) {
                throw new SemanticException(INVALID_SCHEMA_NAME, node, "Too many parts in schema name: %s", schema.get());
            }
            if (parts.size() == 2) {
                catalogName = parts.get(0).getValue();
            }

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Run USE catalog.schema before the statement
2. Fully qualify the name in the statement, e.g. CREATE TABLE catalog.schema.table (...)
3. Set the catalog in the client connection/session configuration
4. When constructing sessions in code, call Session.builder(...).setCatalog(...).setSchema(...)

Example fix

-- before
CREATE SCHEMA web;
-- after
CREATE SCHEMA sales.web;  -- or run: USE sales.default; first

if (session.getCatalog().isPresent()) {
    MetadataUtil.createCatalogName(session, node);
} else {
    throw new SemanticException(CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED, node, "Session catalog must be set");
}

boolean hasCatalog(Session s) { return s.getCatalog().isPresent(); }

try {
    MetadataUtil.createCatalogName(session, node);
} catch (SemanticException e) {
    if (e.getCode() == CATALOG_NOT_SPECIFIED) {
        // prompt user to run USE catalog.schema or qualify the name
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Executing statements that call createCatalogName (e.g. CREATE SCHEMA, DROP SCHEMA, CREATE TABLE without catalog qualification) from a session where session.getCatalog() returns Optional.empty().

Common situations: A freshly connected client that never ran USE catalog.schema; thin clients or BI tools issuing DDL without a fully qualified name; programmatic sessions built via Session.builder without .setCatalog().

Related errors

• SCHEMA_NOT_SPECIFIED
• MISSING_CATALOG
• NOT_SUPPORTED
• MISSING_TABLE
• MISSING_ROLE

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bf904372caead1a6. Report an issue: GitHub.