📋

Description

This error occurs during a `LOAD DATA` statement when a specified column name does not exist in the target table or is incorrectly referenced. It indicates a mismatch between the column(s) you are trying to load data into and the actual schema of the table.

💬

Error Message

Invalid column reference (%s) in LOAD DATA

🔍

Known Causes

3 known causes

⚠️

Column Not Found in Table

The `LOAD DATA` statement references a column name that simply does not exist in the definition of the target MariaDB table.

⚠️

Typo in Column Name

A spelling mistake or typographical error in the column name within the `LOAD DATA` statement prevents it from matching an existing table column.

⚠️

Case Sensitivity Mismatch

Depending on the operating system or database configuration, column names might be case-sensitive, leading to a mismatch if the casing in the `LOAD DATA` statement is incorrect.

🛠️

Solutions

3 solutions available

1. Verify Column Names in LOAD DATA Statement easy

Ensure the column names specified in your LOAD DATA statement exactly match the target table's column names.

1

Examine your `LOAD DATA INFILE` or `LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE` statement. Pay close attention to the column list, if provided. The column names listed here must be identical (case-sensitive, unless your `lower_case_table_names` setting dictates otherwise) to the actual column names in your MariaDB table.

LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
ENCLOSED BY '"'
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
(column1, column2, column3); -- Ensure these match your table schema

2

Retrieve the schema of your target table to confirm the exact column names.

DESCRIBE your_table;

3

Correct any discrepancies between the column names in your `LOAD DATA` statement and the table schema. If you're not explicitly listing columns, MariaDB expects the order of columns in your file to match the order in the table. In such cases, ensure the file order is correct or specify the columns explicitly.

-- Example of correcting a typo:
LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
ENCLOSED BY '"'
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
(correct_column_name1, correct_column_name2, correct_column_name3);

2. Adjust Column Order or Use Column List medium

Align the data file's column order with the table schema or explicitly map columns using a column list.

1

If your data file has columns in a different order than your MariaDB table, the `LOAD DATA` statement will fail if you don't specify the column mapping. You can either reorder your data file or, preferably, explicitly list the columns in your `LOAD DATA` statement to match the file's order.

-- Assuming your data file has columns in the order: file_col_A, file_col_B, file_col_C
-- And your table has columns in the order: table_col_X, table_col_Y, table_col_Z

-- Incorrect if file_col_A doesn't map to table_col_X etc.
-- LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table ... ;

-- Correct approach: explicit mapping
LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
(table_col_X, table_col_Y, table_col_Z); -- Map file columns to table columns in order

2

If your data file contains columns that are not present in the target table, or if you only want to load specific columns, you must provide a column list to explicitly map the file's columns to the table's columns. Unspecified columns in the table will be set to their default values or `NULL` if allowed.

-- Data file has: col_A, col_B, col_C, col_D
-- Table has: table_col_1, table_col_2, table_col_3

LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
(table_col_1, table_col_2, table_col_3); -- col_D from file is ignored

3. Check for Special Characters or Whitespace in Column Names easy

Ensure there are no leading/trailing spaces or unusual characters in your table's column names that might be causing mismatches.

1

Sometimes, column names can accidentally contain leading or trailing whitespace, or non-printable characters. This can lead to `LOAD DATA` failing with an 'Invalid column reference' error, as the name in the statement won't precisely match the name in the schema.

DESCRIBE your_table;

2

Carefully inspect the output of `DESCRIBE your_table;`. If you find any column names with extra spaces or unusual characters, you'll need to address this. It's best practice to avoid such characters in column names.

-- Example of a problematic column name: `  my_column  `
-- Or a column name with a non-printable character.

3

If you find problematic column names, you have two options:
1. **Update the `LOAD DATA` statement:** Enclose the column name in backticks (` `) in your `LOAD DATA` statement, ensuring it precisely matches the name from `DESCRIBE`.
2. **Rename the column (recommended for long-term fix):** Alter the table to rename the column to a clean name without spaces or special characters.

-- Option 1: Using backticks in LOAD DATA
LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/your/data.csv' INTO TABLE your_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
(`  my_column  `, another_column);

-- Option 2: Renaming the column
ALTER TABLE your_table CHANGE COLUMN `  my_column  ` my_clean_column VARCHAR(255); -- Adjust data type as needed

🔗

Related Errors

5 related errors

MariaDB Error 1611: Invalid LOAD DATA Column