yiisoft/yii2 · error · yii\base\InvalidCallException

Unable to link models: the models being linked cannot be new

Error message

Unable to link models: the models being linked cannot be newly created.

What it means

Error "Unable to link models: the models being linked cannot be newly created." thrown in yiisoft/yii2.

Source

Thrown at framework/db/BaseActiveRecord.php:1318

     * junction table which contains the primary key values from both models.
     *
     * Note that this method requires that the primary key value is not null.
     *
     * @param string $name the case sensitive name of the relationship, e.g. `orders` for a relation defined via `getOrders()` method.
     * @param ActiveRecordInterface $model the model to be linked with the current one.
     * @param array $extraColumns additional column values to be saved into the junction table.
     * This parameter is only meaningful for a relationship involving a junction table
     * (i.e., a relation set with [[ActiveRelationTrait::via()]] or [[ActiveQuery::viaTable()]].)
     * @throws InvalidCallException if the method is unable to link two models.
     */
    public function link($name, $model, $extraColumns = [])
    {
        /** @var ActiveQueryInterface|ActiveQuery $relation */
        $relation = $this->getRelation($name);

        if ($relation->via !== null) {
            if ($this->getIsNewRecord() || $model->getIsNewRecord()) {
                throw new InvalidCallException('Unable to link models: the models being linked cannot be newly created.');
            }
            if (is_array($relation->via)) {
                /** @var ActiveQuery $viaRelation */
                list($viaName, $viaRelation) = $relation->via;
                $viaClass = $viaRelation->modelClass;
                // unset $viaName so that it can be reloaded to reflect the change
                unset($this->_related[$viaName]);
            } else {
                $viaRelation = $relation->via;
                $viaTable = reset($relation->via->from);
            }
            $columns = [];
            foreach ($viaRelation->link as $a => $b) {
                $columns[$a] = $this->$b;
            }
            foreach ($relation->link as $a => $b) {
                $columns[$b] = $model->$a;
            }

View on GitHub (pinned to 66f00d18a2)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at framework/db/BaseActiveRecord.php:1318 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of yiisoft/yii2@66f00d18a2 (2026-08-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/28da343ae485dd35. Report an issue: GitHub.