puppetlabs/puppet · error · Puppet::ParseError

%{member} attempts to override %{label} without having overr

Error message

%{member} attempts to override %{label} without having override => true

What it means

Puppet requires overriding an inherited Object type member to be explicit: the child member must be declared with 'override' => true. assert_can_be_overridden raises this Puppet::ParseError when a same-named inherited member exists but the redeclaration does not carry the flag — protection against silently changing a parent contract by accident.

Source

Thrown at lib/puppet/pops/types/p_object_type.rb:181

      end
    end

    # Checks if the given _member_ can override this member.
    #
    # @param member [PAnnotatedMember] the overriding member
    # @return [PAnnotatedMember] its argument
    # @raises [Puppet::ParseError] if the assertion fails
    # @api private
    def assert_can_be_overridden(member)
      unless instance_of?(member.class)
        raise Puppet::ParseError, _("%{member} attempts to override %{label}") % { member: member.label, label: label }
      end
      if @final && !(constant? && member.constant?)
        raise Puppet::ParseError, _("%{member} attempts to override final %{label}") % { member: member.label, label: label }
      end
      unless member.override?
        # TRANSLATOR 'override => true' is a puppet syntax and should not be translated
        raise Puppet::ParseError, _("%{member} attempts to override %{label} without having override => true") % { member: member.label, label: label }
      end
      unless @type.assignable?(member.type)
        raise Puppet::ParseError, _("%{member} attempts to override %{label} with a type that does not match") % { member: member.label, label: label }
      end

      member
    end

    def constant?
      false
    end

    # @return [Boolean] `true` if this feature cannot be overridden
    # @api public
    def final?
      @final
    end

View on GitHub (pinned to e227c27540)

Solutions

1. If the redeclaration is intentional, add 'override' => true to the child member's hash.
2. If the name collision is accidental, rename the child's member.
3. Audit the parent type's attribute list when a child mysteriously fails to compile.

Example fix

# before
type Sub = Object[{
  'parent' => 'Base',
  'attributes' => { 'size' => Integer }     # Base already defines 'size'
}]

# after
type Sub = Object[{
  'parent' => 'Base',
  'attributes' => { 'size' => {'type' => Integer, 'override' => true} }
}]

# Ruby — when generating child types, set the flag automatically for redeclarations
if parent_members.key?(name)
  entry = entry.merge('override' => true)
end

def needs_override_flag?(name, parent_members)
  parent_members.key?(name)
end

begin
  Puppet::Pops::Types::PObjectType.new(name, hash)
rescue Puppet::ParseError => e
  raise CompileError, "redeclared inherited member without override => true: #{e.message}"
end

When it happens

Trigger: Child Object type declares an attribute (or type parameter) with the same name as one inherited from its parent, without 'override' => true — e.g. parent has attribute 'name', child redeclares 'name' => String.

Common situations: Developers from mainstream OOP languages expecting implicit overriding; accidental name collisions with common attribute names ('name', 'id', 'version') that the parent already defines.

Related errors

• expected %{label} to override an inherited %{feature_type},
• %{member} attempts to override %{label}
• %{member} attempts to override final %{label}
• %{member} attempts to override %{label} with a type that doe
• %{label} of kind 'constant' cannot be combined with final =>

AI-assisted analysis of puppetlabs/puppet@e227c27540 (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3717857a2018a934. Report an issue: GitHub.