prestodb/presto · error · SemanticException

MISSING_TABLE

MISSING_TABLE

Error message

Table %s does not exist

What it means

Final fallback in MetadataUtils.getTableColumnMetadata: when catalog and schema both exist but the resolver still returns no TableHandle, it throws SemanticException MISSING_TABLE naming the full table. The connector can see the namespace but no table with that name.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/util/MetadataUtils.java:92

        return session.getRuntimeStats().recordWallTime(
                GET_MATERIALIZED_VIEW_TIME_NANOS,
                () -> metadataResolver.getMaterializedView(viewName));
    }

    public static TableColumnMetadata getTableColumnMetadata(Session session, MetadataResolver metadataResolver, QualifiedObjectName tableName)
    {
        Optional<TableHandle> tableHandle = session.getRuntimeStats().recordWallTime(
                GET_TABLE_HANDLE_TIME_NANOS,
                () -> metadataResolver.getTableHandle(tableName));

        if (!tableHandle.isPresent()) {
            if (!metadataResolver.catalogExists(tableName.getCatalogName())) {
                throw new SemanticException(MISSING_CATALOG, "Catalog %s does not exist", tableName.getCatalogName());
            }
            if (!metadataResolver.schemaExists(new CatalogSchemaName(tableName.getCatalogName(), tableName.getSchemaName()))) {
                throw new SemanticException(MISSING_SCHEMA, "Schema %s does not exist", tableName.getSchemaName());
            }
            throw new SemanticException(MISSING_TABLE, "Table %s does not exist", tableName);
        }

        Map<String, ColumnHandle> columnHandles = session.getRuntimeStats().recordWallTime(
                GET_COLUMN_HANDLE_TIME_NANOS,
                () -> metadataResolver.getColumnHandles(tableHandle.get()));

        List<ColumnMetadata> columnsMetadata = session.getRuntimeStats().recordWallTime(
                GET_COLUMN_METADATA_TIME_NANOS,
                () -> metadataResolver.getColumns(tableHandle.get()));

        return new TableColumnMetadata(tableHandle, columnHandles, columnsMetadata);
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Run SHOW TABLES FROM <catalog>.<schema> to confirm the exact table name
2. Create the table if missing (CREATE TABLE ... AS ...) or fix the name
3. Check privileges/visibility rules if the table should exist
4. Verify the underlying metastore/connector actually contains the table

Example fix

// before
SELECT * FROM postgresql.public.ordre; -- typo
// after
SELECT * FROM postgresql.public.orders;

// Check table existence before fetching column metadata
if (!metadata.listTables(session, schemaName).stream()
        .anyMatch(t -> t.getTableName().equalsIgnoreCase(tableName))) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown table: " + tableName);
}

try {
    columns = MetadataUtils.getTableColumnMetadata(...);
} catch (SemanticException e) {
    if (e.getCode() == MISSING_TABLE) {
        throw new UserError("Table not found: " + e.getMessage());
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: SELECT/DESCRIBE/SHOW COLUMNS on catalog.schema.table where the table name is wrong or the table was dropped; permission-filtered visibility making the table appear nonexistent; a connector that lazily lists metadata not seeing the table.

Common situations: Typo in table name; table dropped or renamed by another job; stale assumptions after redeployments; connector metastore lag (e.g. Hive metastore eventual issues); insufficient privileges masking the table.

Related errors

• MISSING_CATALOG
• MISSING_SCHEMA
• NOT_FOUND
• ACCUMULO_TABLE_DNE
• NOT_FOUND

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fd1c60064bf30be2. Report an issue: GitHub.