42710 — Duplicate object

At a glance

42710 is duplicate_object: a definition collides with an occupied object name. The selected path is a second CREATE TYPE ... AS ENUM; the same SQLSTATE is reused by other object-definition paths, so first identify the object kind and schema.

Meaning

The DefineEnum path reports type "%s" already exists; this is a catalog-definition collision, not a row-level unique violation. CREATE OR REPLACE is not a universal repair. Inspect pg_type joined to pg_namespace, ownership, and migration order. The selected autocommit error leaves IDLE; an explicit transaction must be rolled back before more commands.

Diagnosis

Inspect the exact object kind and schema first. For a type, query pg_type joined to pg_namespace; for a relation use to_regclass, and for a routine inspect pg_proc and pg_get_function_identity_arguments. Check ownership and migration order.

Response

Choose an intentionally free name, or use an object-specific alter/replace operation only when the existing owner is yours. The case repairs by creating a distinct ENUM. A preflight check does not remove a concurrent-create race, and dropping an unknown object is unsafe. In an explicit transaction, the failed definition leaves INERROR; roll back or return to a suitable savepoint before retrying. The selected autocommit case remains IDLE.

Observed diagnostics

CREATE TYPE in this ENUM branch has explicit ERROR severity and no hint; other 42710 branches have different templates, including a heap.c relation/type hint that does not belong here.

Representative case

This disposable case creates an ENUM, repeats its definition, checks the code and state, then creates a distinct type and verifies both catalog entries.

CREATE TYPE syntax_schema.duplicate_object_type AS ENUM ('first');
CREATE TYPE syntax_schema.duplicate_object_type AS ENUM ('first');
CREATE TYPE syntax_schema.duplicate_object_type_repaired AS ENUM ('first');
SELECT count(*) FROM pg_type t JOIN pg_namespace n ON n.oid = t.typnamespace WHERE n.nspname = 'syntax_schema_name' AND t.typname IN ('duplicate_object_type', 'duplicate_object_type_repaired');

The selected 18.6 and 10.21 runs passed SQLSTATE, severity, state/recovery, repair, cleanup, and isolated-target stop assertions. See case JSON and authored evidence; private manifest and registry hashes are recorded there.

Versions

The locked catalogue contains this condition from the 7.4 presence bound through the listed snapshots. The selected natural case passed on PostgreSQL 18.6 and 10.21; that bounded result does not infer every intermediate release or every source branch.

Related

• 42723
• 42725
• 42883

Sources

• src.errcodes.REL_18_6 — fixed definition at 724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7; SHA-256 6e8de346643ba84aa3c9c6a73360acfc7b2dfb89162c06c08ce9bf5bcd5bbcba (source).
• src.duplicate-enum.18.6 — src/backend/commands/typecmds.c lines 1219–1221 at 724edf9bde9d356724ad384a2e196edc3c9f80f7; blob SHA-256 60d1e9754646e100f6b74aa367ad8c2c52386c400df721707423d329209c47eb (source).
• src.duplicate-enum.10.23 — src/backend/commands/typecmds.c lines 1139–1141 at 02991e79f8f58bc208f05dcc8af0c62dbe0a6ea4; blob SHA-256 fa1dfb766f7a3117eb677461ede774d5ba7c25324cbbd2a200435fa9c9c8e863 (source).
• src.calls.REL_18_6 / src.calls.REL_10_23 — fixed call scans, SHA-256 9ee8a0e81d8f0825c5c1ae45583439859a26e602bdd4ce2f2a62aa278867ccbf / 00d16d3eb01b71ccf1b245c8f3102f9d0ec9f36fb02777b8dd1b99fcb263040c.
• manifest.42710 / snippet-registry.42710 — hashes are recorded in evidence/42710.json and each runtime record.