Syntax errors are quite common while coding.
But, things go for a toss when it results in website errors.
PostgreSQL error 42601 also occurs due to syntax errors in the database queries.
At Bobcares, we often get requests from PostgreSQL users to fix errors as part of our Server Management Services.
Today, let’s check PostgreSQL error in detail and see how our Support Engineers fix it for the customers.
What causes error 42601 in PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL is an advanced database engine. It is popular for its extensive features and ability to handle complex database situations.
Applications like Instagram, Facebook, Apple, etc rely on the PostgreSQL database.
But what causes error 42601?
PostgreSQL error codes consist of five characters. The first two characters denote the class of errors. And the remaining three characters indicate a specific condition within that class.
Here, 42 in 42601 represent the class “Syntax Error or Access Rule Violation“.
In short, this error mainly occurs due to the syntax errors in the queries executed. A typical error shows up as:
Here, the syntax error has occurred in position 119 near the value “parents” in the query.
How we fix the error?
Now let’s see how our PostgreSQL engineers resolve this error efficiently.
Recently, one of our customers contacted us with this error. He tried to execute the following code,
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION prc_tst_bulk(sql text)
RETURNS TABLE (name text, rowcount integer) AS
$$
BEGIN
WITH m_ty_person AS (return query execute sql)
select name, count(*) from m_ty_person where name like '%a%' group by name
union
select name, count(*) from m_ty_person where gender = 1 group by name;
END
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;But, this ended up in PostgreSQL error 42601. And he got the following error message,
ERROR: syntax error at or near "return"
LINE 5: WITH m_ty_person AS (return query execute sql)Our PostgreSQL Engineers checked the issue and found out the syntax error. The statement in Line 5 was a mix of plain and dynamic SQL. In general, the PostgreSQL query should be either fully dynamic or plain. Therefore, we changed the code as,
RETURN QUERY EXECUTE '
WITH m_ty_person AS (' || sql || $x$)
SELECT name, count(*)::int FROM m_ty_person WHERE name LIKE '%a%' GROUP BY name
UNION
SELECT name, count(*)::int FROM m_ty_person WHERE gender = 1 GROUP BY name$x$;This resolved the error 42601, and the code worked fine.
[Need more assistance to solve PostgreSQL error 42601?- We’ll help you.]
Conclusion
In short, PostgreSQL error 42601 occurs due to the syntax errors in the code. Today, in this write-up, we have discussed how our Support Engineers fixed this error for our customers.
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var google_conversion_label = «owonCMyG5nEQ0aD71QM»;
Last tested: Feb 2021
Overview
This SQL error generally means that somewhere in the query, there is invalid syntax.
Some common examples:
- Using a database-specific SQL for the wrong database (eg BigQuery supports DATE_ADD, but Redshift supports DATEADD)
- Typo in the SQL (missing comma, misspelled word, etc)
- Missing a sql clause (missed from, join, select, etc)
- An object does not exist in the database or is not accessible from the current query (eg referencing orders.id when there is no orders table joined in the current query, etc)
In some circumstances, the database error message may display extra detail about where the error was raised, which can be helpful in narrowing down where to look.
Error Message
SQL ERROR: syntax error at or near
Troubleshooting
This should generally be the first step to troubleshoot any SQL syntax error in a large query: iteratively comment out blocks of SQL to narrow down where the problem is.
TIP: To make this process easier, change the group by clause to use position references
eg: group by 1,2,3,4,5 instead of group by orders.status, orders.date, to_char(...)...
as well as separate the where and having clauses onto multiple lines.
So for example, say we have the following query:
play_arrow
WITH cte AS (
select id, status, sales_amountfrom orders
)
select status, foo.date, sum(cte.sales_amount), count(*) from cte
join foo on cte.date = foo.date
group by status, foo.date
order by 3 desc
We could start by running just the portion in the CTE:
play_arrow
-- WITH cte AS (
select id, status, sales_amountfrom orders
-- )
-- select status, foo.date, sum(cte.sales_amount), count(*)
-- from cte
-- join foo on cte.date = foo.date
-- group by 1, 2
-- order by 3 desc
Then strip out the aggregates and portions related to them
play_arrow
WITH cte AS (
select id, status, sales_amountfrom orders
)
select status, foo.date, -- sum(cte.sales_amount), count(*)
from cte
join foo on cte.date = foo.date
-- group by 1, 2
-- order by 3 desc
Iteratively stripping out / adding back in portions of the query until you find the minimum query to trigger the error.
-
Lookup functions and syntax If the query is small enough, or if we’ve narrowed the scope enough with 1, google all the functions used in the query and verify that they exist and are being used correctly.
-
Verify all objects exist Verify that you’ve joined all tables used in the select, where, and having clause, and that those tables exist in the db. Once we’ve narrowed things down from 1, also check that each column exists in the table specified.
There are a lot of PostgreSQL errors out there.
Way too much, right?
You as a sysadmin know that for sure – Syntax Errors, Relation Errors, Server Connection Errors, and other Error Codes.
Here you’ll find a list of the most common PostgreSQL errors and proven quick fix solutions:
- PostgreSQL error “Syntax error at or near ‘grant’”
- PostgreSQL error code “42501” or “Permission denied”
- PostgreSQL error code “1053” or “The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion”
- PostgreSQL error “Role does not exist”
- PostgreSQL error “Relation does not exist”
- PostgreSQL error ”Could not connect to server: no such file or directory” or “Could not connect to server: connection refused”
- PostgreSQL error “Invalid input syntax”
- PostgreSQL error “Permission denied for database”
- PostgreSQL error Code “42703” or “Column does not exist”
- PostgreSQL error “Could not extend file” or “No space left on device”
And you’ll find the solution to get rid of ALL PostgreSQL errors – forever: Test PRTG as your new monitoring tool and get started within minutes!
1. PostgreSQL error
“Error: syntax error at or near ‘grant’”
Quick fix
Quick fixThe error message “syntax error at or near ‘grant’” is one of the most common PostgreSQL database errors. However, it can easily be identified and resolved.
To understand this issue, you need to know that SQL distinguishes between reserved and non-reserved key word tokens. Reserved key words, such as “grant”, are never allowed as identifiers. Most reserved tokens are not allowed as column or table names, but may be allowed as an “AS” column label name.
If you come across this error message, check your code and make sure that the reserved keyword, for example “grant”, is quoted. Without using quotes, the error message will pop up in the PostgreSQL database.
Best Solution: https://severalnines.com/blog/decoding-postgresql-error-logs
2. PostgreSQL error
“Error 42501” or “Permission Denied”
Quick fix
PostgreSQL error 42501 is a common error that sometimes occurs in response to a PostgreSQL database query. In most cases, error code 42501 implies that the user has insufficient privilege for the database. As soon as a user with insufficient privileges make a query, PostgreSQL responds with the error message.
To fix the problem, check the database user privileges. If the user who attempted the query lacks permission, simply change the privileges accordingly. You can give privileges for a table either to the public using “GRANT SELECT ON table_name TO PUBLIC;” or to only a few users using the command “GRANT SELECT ON table_name to user_name;”.
Best Solution: https://bobcares.com/blog/postgresql-error-42501/364570
3. PostgreSQL error
“Error 1053” or “The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion”
Quick fix
Are you facing error code 1053 while working with the PostgreSQL database? Then you have come across a common PostgreSQL error. The error code is usually accompanied by the message “the service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion”.
There are several possible causes for error 1053, such as low timeout values, firewall restrictions, corrupted files and permission of files. The solution for PostgreSQL error 1052 depends on the individual cause:
- If caused by a low timeout value, get rid of error code 1053 by setting a ServicesPipeTimeout DWORD value in the registry editor to override the default timeout time of your database.
- If your firewall prevents your PostgreSQL database from working correctly, disable your firewall or change the settings to allow all database requests to run smoothly.
- If corrupted files or permission of files are the cause of this error to occur, use the file checking tools to check the system file structure and replace corrupted files to eliminate of error 1053.
Best Solution: https://bobcares.com/blog/postgresql-error-1053/
4. PostgreSQL error
“Role does not exist”
Quick fix
PostgreSQL error message “role does not exist” occurs when connecting to PostgreSQL using a user name that does not exist. The full error message usually states something similar to “FATAL: role “username” does not exist”.
For easy troubleshooting, make sure you have logged in to the correct user. If the user does not exist yet, create the user account on the PostgreSQL database. You should now be able to connect to PostgreSQL.
Best Solution: https://knowledgebase.progress.com/articles/Article/postgresql-error-role-does-not-exist
5. PostgreSQL error
“Relation does not exist”
Quick fix
Are you looking for a solution to PostgreSQL error message “relation does not exist”? As there are several possible causes for this common error, it is often necessary to do some digging in order to find out what causes the PostgreSQL database to respond with the error message.
One of many possible causes is that your postgres user is configured not to use a password, while your connection string includes “password=”. This configuration can result in the error “relation does not exist” to occur. To solve the problem, remove “password=” from the connection string. It should now look like this:
“host=localhost port=5432 user=postgres dbname=t11 sslmode=disable”
Another workaround is to alter the postgres user to require a password, then change the connecting string accordingly.
Best Solution: https://medium.com/@raajyaverdhanmishra/when-you-get-relation-does-not-exist-in-postgres-7ffb0c3c674b
6. PostgreSQL error
”Could not connect to server: no such file or directory” or “Could not connect to server: connection refused”
7. PostgreSQL error
“Invalid input syntax”
Quick fix
If you have encountered the error message “invalid input syntax” while working with the PostgreSQL database, you are dealing with a common error. The full error message usually looks like this, or similar:
ERROR: invalid input syntax for type numeric: «b» at character 26
The error occurs when the user attempts to insert a value that does not match the column type. If the problem is not caused by an attempt to enter a faulty, it may be an application side error that needs to be solved by the developer.
Best Solution: https://severalnines.com/blog/decoding-postgresql-error-logs
8. PostgreSQL error
«Permission denied for database»
Quick fix
“Permission denied for database” is a group of PostgreSQL errors that is in most cases caused by a lack of user privileges. Depending on the reason for the error to occur, common error messages include “Permission denied for relation”, “Permission denied for sequence”, or “Permission denied for schema”. All of these PostgreSQL errors are related privilege issues.
To solve the problem, there are several possible troubleshooting methods:
- Make sure that the user is granted the Connect privilege. To grant the privilege, use the command “GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE userdb TO user ;”.
- To read data from the table, users require the privilege Connect, Create, Temporary and Select. Whenever you are granting access to a new user, make sure that all necessary privilege is granted.
- The permission denied error can also be caused by a missing user. If this is the case, update all PostgreSQL users with the proper password and sync it with the Plesk panel.
Best Solution: https://bobcares.com/blog/permission-denied-for-database-postgres/
9. PostgreSQL error
“42703” or “Column does not exist”
Quick fix
Another common error code with PostgreSQL database is 42703 as well as the error message “column does not exist”. This error indicates either that the requested column does not it exist, or that the query is not correct.
There are many possible reasons for this issue. To get started, check your query for any mistakes. Often, the error is caused by a lack of quotes. If this is the case, add double quotes to the column name, then try again.
Best Solution: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52007364/postgresql-column-doesnt-exist
10. PostgreSQL error
“Could not extend file” or “No space left on device”
Quick fix
Lack of disk space is a common problem that can easily be prevented. If you are facing the error message “no space left on device”, there is not enough space on your disk to run the database.
To solve the problem, free some space on the disk and make sure to avoid running out of disk space in the future.
Best Solution: https://www.percona.com/blog/2020/06/05/10-common-postgresql-errors/
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Introduction
Actually, this article has a relation with the existence of the previous article. That previous article exist in this link with the title of ‘How to Solve Error Message Model Attribute Problem SyntaxError: invalid syntax in Django Application’. It is actually just inappropriate format of the column name available in the SQL file. That SQL file actually containing an INSERT statement for restoring data to the targeted database. But since there is a column name which is not following the standard rule which starts with a character that is not number or letter, it cause the restore process to fail.
The following is just to describe that accessing the database is not the cause of the problem.
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19042.1288] (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:UsersPersonal>cd C:>psql -Upostgres -d db_app Password for user postgres: psql (14.0) WARNING: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252) 8-bit characters might not work correctly. See psql reference page "Notes for Windows users" for details. Type "help" for help. db_app=# q
After that, the process for inserting records by importing it or restoring it using the following command exist as follows :
C:>psql -Uuser_app -d db_app < "C:UsersPersonalDownloadsinsert-current-product.sql" Password for user db_user: ERROR: syntax error at or near "[" LINE 1: ...,[product_code... ^
As in the above command execution, it fail with an error message appear.
Solution
Actually, the solution for the above error message causing it is because of the column’s character is not a proper name for a column name. In that case, just change it into a proper one. So, edit the SQL file and find the column’s character or the column name which is the cause for the database restore process to fail. Changing the column name from [product_code] to another proper one. That new column name is ‘product_code’. After editing the file, just execute the process for importing or restoring the data once more as follows :
C:>psql -Uuser_sinergi -d db_sinergi < "C:UsersPersonalDownloadsinsert-current-product.sql" Password for user db_user: INSERT 0 556 C:>
Fortunately, the process is a success as in the output of the command above.