yiisoft/yii2 · error · UnknownMethodException

Calling unknown method: {class}::{name}()

Error message

Calling unknown method: {class}::{name}()

What it means

When a method call finds no real method on a yii\base\BaseObject subclass, __call() throws UnknownMethodException('Calling unknown method: C::name()') unconditionally - at this base level there is no fallback (only Component adds behavior dispatch). It means the method name is wrong, or the method lives on another class or on a behavior that the plain BaseObject does not support.

Source

Thrown at framework/base/BaseObject.php:223

            $this->$setter(null);
        } elseif (method_exists($this, 'get' . $name)) {
            throw new InvalidCallException('Unsetting read-only property: ' . get_class($this) . '::' . $name);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Calls the named method which is not a class method.
     *
     * Do not call this method directly as it is a PHP magic method that
     * will be implicitly called when an unknown method is being invoked.
     * @param string $name the method name
     * @param array $params method parameters
     * @throws UnknownMethodException when calling unknown method
     * @return mixed the method return value
     */
    public function __call($name, $params)
    {
        throw new UnknownMethodException('Calling unknown method: ' . get_class($this) . "::$name()");
    }

    /**
     * Returns a value indicating whether a property is defined.
     *
     * A property is defined if:
     *
     * - the class has a getter or setter method associated with the specified name
     *   (in this case, property name is case-insensitive);
     * - the class has a member variable with the specified name (when `$checkVars` is true);
     *
     * @param string $name the property name
     * @param bool $checkVars whether to treat member variables as properties
     * @return bool whether the property is defined
     * @see canGetProperty()
     * @see canSetProperty()
     */
    public function hasProperty($name, $checkVars = true)

View on GitHub (pinned to 66f00d18a2)

Solutions

1. Open the class named in the message and find the real method name (IDE go-to-definition on properly typed variables)
2. If the method belongs to a related object, call it there, following the object chain the docs use
3. For optional features guard the call with $obj->hasMethod($name) first

Example fix

// before
$users = User::find()->whre(['status' => 1])->all();

// after
$users = User::find()->where(['status' => 1])->all();

if ($object->hasMethod($method)) {
    $result = $object->$method($args);
} else {
    throw new \BadMethodCallException(get_class($object) . "::{$method}() does not exist");
}

function supportsMethod(\yii\base\BaseObject $object, string $method): bool
{
    return $object->hasMethod($method);
}

try {
    $result = $object->$method();
} catch (\yii\base\UnknownMethodException $e) {
    Yii::warning($e->getMessage());
    $result = $fallback;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Typos ($model->savve()); calling a method that exists on a related class (Query vs ActiveQuery) or on a behavior while the object is a plain BaseObject; methods removed or renamed between Yii 2.0.x releases; dynamic dispatch built from string method names.

Common situations: Version drift after composer updates; refactor drift between classes with similar APIs; string-built method names from user input or config.

Related errors

• Getting unknown property: {class}::{name}
• Setting unknown property: {class}::{name}
• Calling unknown method: {class}::{name}()
• 'Getting write-only property: ' . get_class($this) . '::' .
• Setting read-only property: {class}::{name}

AI-assisted analysis of yiisoft/yii2@66f00d18a2 (2026-08-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d02ce8f6b90e27ac. Report an issue: GitHub.