What causes "InputFormat is not present in StorageFormat" in prestodb/presto?

Set a valid input format: ALTER TABLE ... SET STORED AS or repair the storage descriptor to include an InputFormat class

prestodb/presto · error · PrestoException

HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT

HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT

Error message

InputFormat is not present in StorageFormat

What it means

StorageFormat.getInputFormat() throws HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT when the inputFormat field is null, i.e. the metastore storage descriptor does not specify an InputFormat class. Without an InputFormat, Presto cannot construct a record reader for the data, so it rejects the table/partition as unsupported.

Source

Thrown at presto-hive-metastore/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/hive/metastore/StorageFormat.java:56

    private StorageFormat(String serDe, String inputFormat, String outputFormat)
    {
        this.serDe = serDe;
        this.inputFormat = inputFormat;
        this.outputFormat = outputFormat;
    }

    public String getSerDe()
    {
        if (serDe == null) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_INVALID_METADATA, "SerDe is not present in StorageFormat");
        }
        return serDe;
    }

    public String getInputFormat()
    {
        if (inputFormat == null) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT, "InputFormat is not present in StorageFormat");
        }
        return inputFormat;
    }

    public String getOutputFormat()
    {
        if (outputFormat == null) {
            throw new PrestoException(HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT, "OutputFormat is not present in StorageFormat");
        }
        return outputFormat;
    }

    @JsonProperty("serDe")
    public String getSerDeNullable()
    {
        return serDe;
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

Set a valid input format: ALTER TABLE ... SET STORED AS <format> or repair the storage descriptor to include an InputFormat class
Re-create the table with an explicit STORED AS PARQUET/ORC/TEXTFILE clause
Re-add the bad partition with a complete storage descriptor (or run MSCK REPAIR TABLE)
Restore the metastore storage descriptor from backup

Example fix

// before (no input format in descriptor)
CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE t (a int) LOCATION '...';
// after
CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE t (a int) STORED AS ORC LOCATION '...';

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Validate storage descriptor before reading
StorageDescriptor sd = table.getSd();
if (sd.getInputFormat() == null) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("missing input format: " + table.getTableName());
}

Try / catch

try {
    selectFrom(table);
} catch (PrestoException e) {
    if (e.getErrorCode().getName().equals("HIVE_UNSUPPORTED_FORMAT")) {
        // repair descriptor: SET STORED AS / recreate table
    }
    throw e;
}

Prevention

Always declare STORED AS PARQUET/ORC/TEXTFILE at table creation
Avoid partial storage descriptors in external metastore writers
Verify partitions added manually carry full descriptors
Audit storage descriptors with DESCRIBE FORMATTED after migrations

When it happens

Trigger: Reading a table/partition whose storage descriptor has no inputFormat — e.g. metadata created by another tool, a view-like storage entry, or a partition registered without a full storage descriptor; getInputFormat is called via inputFormat().

Common situations: Partitions added to the metastore with incomplete descriptors; tables created by foreign engines; storage descriptors wiped during metastore migrations; user-created tables with only SERDE specified and no STORED AS / INPUTFORMAT.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/16e382b4463c272f. Report an issue: GitHub.