xai-org/x-algorithm · error · ParseFailure

col %d: Unrecognized type: %s

Error message

col %d: Unrecognized type: %s

What it means

TypeCompiler.getType resolves a simple (non-composite) type name from rule context or the primitive table. A name found in neither throws ParseFailure 'col N: Unrecognized type'.

Source

Thrown at botmaker/src/java/com/twitter/botmaker/compiler/types/TypeCompiler.java:49

  public static Type getType(
      Tree tree,
      TypeContext context
  ) throws ParseFailure, SemanticCheckFailure {
    if (tree.getType() == BotMakerLexer.GENERIC_TYPE) {
      return getCompositeType(tree, context);
    } else if (tree.getChildCount() > 1) {
      String className = getFullClassName(tree);
      return getTypeFromClassName(className);
    } else {
      String typeName = tree.getChild(0).getText();
      Optional<Type> typeFromContextOpt = context.getTypeFromName(typeName);
      Optional<Type> primitiveTypeOpt = getPrimitiveType(typeName);
      if (typeFromContextOpt.isPresent()) {
        return typeFromContextOpt.get();
      } else if (primitiveTypeOpt.isPresent()) {
        return primitiveTypeOpt.get();
      } else {
        throw new ParseFailure(String.format(
            "col %d: Unrecognized type: %s",
            tree.getCharPositionInLine() + 1, typeName));
      }
    }
  }

  private static String getFullClassName(Tree tree) {
    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
    builder.append(tree.getChild(0).getText());
    for (int index = 1; index < tree.getChildCount(); index++) {
      builder.append('.').append(tree.getChild(index).getText());
    }
    return builder.toString();
  }

  private static Type getCompositeType(
      Tree tree,
      TypeContext context

View on GitHub (pinned to 24c60942c5)

Solutions

1. Use the exact registered primitive/composite type name (case-sensitive)
2. Register the custom type in the TypeContext before compiling
3. Check the reported column to find the offending token and fix the typo

Example fix

// before
... : u64 ...
// after
... : UINT64 ...

Optional<Type> known = getPrimitiveType(name); // plus context lookup
if (!known.isPresent() && !contextHas(name)) rejectRule();

catch ParseFailure; use the reported column to point the author at the bad type token

When it happens

Trigger: Compiling a botmaker rule whose type expression names an unknown simple type — e.g. 'u64' when only UINT64 is registered, or a class name where a type keyword is required.

Common situations: Typos in type names, custom types not registered in the TypeContext, dialect differences between botmaker rule versions.

Related errors

• col %d: Type %s received %d parameters, %d expected
• type checking expression %s failed: invalid argument type: %
• Non-optional parameter %s must be declared before optional p
• Duplicated argument name %s
• Unsupported field type %s

AI-assisted analysis of xai-org/x-algorithm@24c60942c5 (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7d8248147619349b. Report an issue: GitHub.