prestodb/presto · error · SemanticException

TYPE_MISMATCH

TYPE_MISMATCH

Error message

Unknown type '%s' for column '%s'

What it means

CreateTableTask.internalExecute throws SemanticException(TYPE_MISMATCH) when metadata.getType(parseTypeSignature(column.getType())) raises IllegalArgumentException or UnknownTypeException, meaning the declared column type string cannot be parsed or resolved to a registered type in this Presto installation.

Source

Thrown at presto-main-base/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/CreateTableTask.java:133

        }

        ConnectorId connectorId = getConnectorIdOrThrow(session, metadata, tableName.getCatalogName());

        LinkedHashMap<String, ColumnMetadata> columns = new LinkedHashMap<>();
        Map<String, Object> inheritedProperties = ImmutableMap.of();
        boolean includingProperties = false;
        List<TableConstraint<String>> constraints = new ArrayList<>();
        for (TableElement element : statement.getElements()) {
            if (element instanceof ColumnDefinition) {
                ColumnDefinition column = (ColumnDefinition) element;
                String columnName = column.getName().getValue();
                String name = metadata.normalizeIdentifier(session, tableName.getCatalogName(), columnName);
                Type type;
                try {
                    type = metadata.getType(parseTypeSignature(column.getType()));
                }
                catch (IllegalArgumentException | UnknownTypeException e) {
                    throw new SemanticException(TYPE_MISMATCH, element, "Unknown type '%s' for column '%s'", column.getType(), column.getName());
                }
                if (type.equals(UNKNOWN)) {
                    throw new SemanticException(TYPE_MISMATCH, element, "Unknown type '%s' for column '%s'", column.getType(), column.getName());
                }
                if (columns.containsKey(name)) {
                    throw new SemanticException(DUPLICATE_COLUMN_NAME, column, "Column name '%s' specified more than once", column.getName());
                }
                if (!column.isNullable() && !metadata.getConnectorCapabilities(session, connectorId).contains(NOT_NULL_COLUMN_CONSTRAINT)) {
                    throw new SemanticException(NOT_SUPPORTED, column, "Catalog '%s' does not support non-null column for column name '%s'", connectorId.getCatalogName(), column.getName());
                }

                Map<String, Expression> sqlProperties = mapFromProperties(column.getProperties());
                Map<String, Object> columnProperties = metadata.getColumnPropertyManager().getProperties(
                        connectorId,
                        tableName.getCatalogName(),
                        sqlProperties,
                        session,
                        metadata,

View on GitHub (pinned to 55bb57d202)

Solutions

1. Fix the column type name to a supported Presto type (verify against SHOW TYPES / docs for your version).
2. Install/enable the plugin or connector that provides the custom type.
3. Upgrade Presto if the type exists only in newer releases.
4. Map the foreign-engine type to an equivalent Presto type in the DDL.

Example fix

-- before
CREATE TABLE t (id INTERGR, ts DATETIME);

-- after
CREATE TABLE t (id INTEGER, ts TIMESTAMP);

try {
    Type t = metadata.getType(parseTypeSignature(column.getType()));
    if (t == null || t.equals.UNKNOWN) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unresolvable type: " + column.getType());
    }
} catch (IllegalArgumentException | UnknownTypeException e) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("Fix column type before DDL: " + column.getName());
}

boolean isKnownColumnType(Metadata metadata, String typeString) {
    try {
        return !metadata.getType(parseTypeSignature(typeString)).equals(UNKNOWN);
    } catch (IllegalArgumentException | UnknownTypeException e) {
        return false;
    }
}

try {
    createTable(session, statement, parameters);
} catch (SemanticException e) {
    if (e.getCode() == TYPE_MISMATCH && e.getMessage().startsWith("Unknown type")) {
        // surface the offending column/type to the caller for correction
    } else {
        throw e;
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: CREATE TABLE with a column whose type name is misspelled, connector-specific, or from a plugin that is not installed, so parseTypeSignature/metadata.getType fails.

Common situations: Typos in DDL (e.g. INTERGR, TIMESTAM); types only available in newer Presto versions; connector-specific types when the target catalog lacks the plugin; pasted DDL from other engines (e.g. MySQL-specific types).

Related errors

• DUPLICATE_COLUMN_NAME
• NOT_SUPPORTED
• GENERIC_INTERNAL_ERROR
• SYNTAX_ERROR
• TYPE_MISMATCH

AI-assisted analysis of prestodb/presto@55bb57d202 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/36c73471af54b1f7. Report an issue: GitHub.