prestodb/presto · error · SemanticException

NOT_SUPPORTED

NOT_SUPPORTED

Error message

'%s' is a materialized view, and set column default is not supported

What it means

Set column default is only supported on real tables. If the resolved name refers to a materialized view and the statement did not opt into IF EXISTS behavior, Presto rejects it with NOT_SUPPORTED rather than silently applying the change to a non-table object.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/SetColumnDefaultTask.java:68

        return "SET COLUMN DEFAULT";
    }

    @Override
    public ListenableFuture<?> execute(SetColumnDefault statement, TransactionManager transactionManager, Metadata metadata, AccessControl accessControl, Session session, List<Expression> parameters, WarningCollector warningCollector, String query)
    {
        QualifiedObjectName tableName = createQualifiedObjectName(session, statement, statement.getTable(), metadata);
        Optional<TableHandle> tableHandleOptional = metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getTableHandle(tableName);
        if (!tableHandleOptional.isPresent()) {
            if (!statement.isTableExists()) {
                throw new SemanticException(MISSING_TABLE, statement, "Table '%s' does not exist", tableName);
            }
            return immediateFuture(null);
        }

        Optional<MaterializedViewDefinition> optionalMaterializedView = metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getMaterializedView(tableName);
        if (optionalMaterializedView.isPresent()) {
            if (!statement.isTableExists()) {
                throw new SemanticException(NOT_SUPPORTED, statement, "'%s' is a materialized view, and set column default is not supported", tableName);
            }
            return immediateFuture(null);
        }

        TableHandle tableHandle = tableHandleOptional.get();
        String columnName = metadata.normalizeIdentifier(session, tableName.getCatalogName(), statement.getColumn().getValue());

        accessControl.checkCanAlterColumn(session.getRequiredTransactionId(), session.getIdentity(), session.getAccessControlContext(), tableName);

        Map<String, ColumnHandle> columnHandles = metadata.getColumnHandles(session, tableHandle);
        ColumnHandle columnHandle = columnHandles.get(columnName);
        if (columnHandle == null) {
            throw new SemanticException(MISSING_COLUMN, statement, "Column '%s' does not exist", columnName);
        }

        ColumnMetadata columnMetadata = metadata.getColumnMetadata(session, tableHandle, columnHandle);
        if (columnMetadata.isHidden()) {
            throw new SemanticException(NOT_SUPPORTED, statement, "Cannot set default on hidden column");

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Run the SET DEFAULT on the underlying base table instead of the materialized view
2. Drop and recreate the materialized view with the desired default on its base table
3. Add IF EXISTS if the statement should silently skip non-table objects

Example fix

// before
ALTER TABLE hive.default.mv_sales ALTER COLUMN region SET DEFAULT 'us';
// after
ALTER TABLE hive.default.base_sales ALTER COLUMN region SET DEFAULT 'us';

QualifiedObjectName name = createQualifiedObjectName(session, stmt, table, metadata);
if (metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getMaterializedView(name).isPresent()) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot SET DEFAULT on materialized view: " + name);
}

try {
    return task.execute(stmt, ...);
} catch (SemanticException e) {
    if (e.getCode() == SemanticErrorCode.NOT_SUPPORTED) {
        // redirect to the base table or skip
    } else {
        throw e;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: ALTER TABLE <mv name> ... SET DEFAULT where metadata.getMetadataResolver(session).getMaterializedView(tableName) returns a definition and statement.isTableExists() is false.

Common situations: Assuming a materialized view behaves like a table for DDL; the object was converted from a table to a materialized view since the script was written; name collision between a table and a view in different schemas.

Understand the failure class

Background: Presto NOT_SUPPORTED error: what "not supported" means and how to fix it — this error's family across 3 libraries.

Related errors

• NOT_SUPPORTED
• NOT_SUPPORTED
• INVALID_TABLE_PROPERTY
• NOT_SUPPORTED
• NOT_SUPPORTED

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/50a0702ca00ec55c. Report an issue: GitHub.