puppetlabs/puppet · error · ArgumentError

Cannot add resource %{resource_1} before %{resource_2} becau

Error message

Cannot add resource %{resource_1} before %{resource_2} because %{resource_2} is not yet in the catalog

What it means

Error "Cannot add resource %{resource_1} before %{resource_2} because %{resource_2} is not yet in the catalog" thrown in puppetlabs/puppet.

Source

Thrown at lib/puppet/resource/catalog.rb:104

  # Returns [nil, nil] if '[' ']' not detected.
  #
  def title_key_for_ref(ref)
    s = ref.index('[')
    e = ref.rindex(']')
    if s && e && e > s
      a = [ref[0, s], ref[s + 1, e - s - 1]]
    else
      a = [nil, nil]
    end
    a
  end

  def add_resource_before(other, *resources)
    resources.each do |resource|
      other_title_key = title_key_for_ref(other.ref)
      idx = @resources.index(other_title_key)
      if idx.nil?
        raise ArgumentError, _("Cannot add resource %{resource_1} before %{resource_2} because %{resource_2} is not yet in the catalog") %
                             { resource_1: resource.ref, resource_2: other.ref }
      end
      add_one_resource(resource, idx)
    end
  end

  # Add `resources` to the catalog after `other`. WARNING: adding
  # multiple resources will produce the reverse ordering, e.g. calling
  # `add_resource_after(A, [B,C])` will result in `[A,C,B]`.
  def add_resource_after(other, *resources)
    resources.each do |resource|
      other_title_key = title_key_for_ref(other.ref)
      idx = @resources.index(other_title_key)
      if idx.nil?
        raise ArgumentError, _("Cannot add resource %{resource_1} after %{resource_2} because %{resource_2} is not yet in the catalog") %
                             { resource_1: resource.ref, resource_2: other.ref }
      end
      add_one_resource(resource, idx + 1)

View on GitHub (pinned to e227c27540)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at lib/puppet/resource/catalog.rb:104 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of puppetlabs/puppet@e227c27540 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5847ed86ea4a7f7e. Report an issue: GitHub.