Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of

Looking at this, the problem seems to be a view problem, and not a DataTables problem: Some thing is wrong in the views. Therefore I propose status Closed (works as designed) or (won't fix).

Indeed, the error message comes from the function, getEntityType() from core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/HandlerBase.php. The function exists for the used entity.

However, the error in interesting. May be some hints to solve this kind of problem have to be given here. The function's code is,

  public function getEntityType() {
    // If the user has configured a relationship on the handler take that into
    // account.
    if (!empty($this->options['relationship']) && $this->options['relationship'] != 'none') {
      $relationship = $this->displayHandler->getOption('relationships')[$this->options['relationship']];
      $table_data = $this->getViewsData()->get($relationship['table']);
      $views_data = $this->getViewsData()->get($table_data[$relationship['field']]['relationship']['base']);
    }
    else {
      $views_data = $this->getViewsData()->get($this->view->storage->get('base_table'));
    }

    if (isset($views_data['table']['entity type'])) {
      return $views_data['table']['entity type'];
    }
    else {
      throw new \Exception("No entity type for field {$this->options['id']} on view {$this->view->storage->id()}");
    }
  }

Then the error is thrown if !isset($views_data['table']['entity type']). In a view a wrong relationship configuration may cause such a problem.

More comments. The name of the involved function is strange. Since in the Drupal's core,

core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/EntityInterface.php
  /**
   * Gets the entity type definition.
   *
   * @return \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeInterface
   *   The entity type definition.
   */
  public function getEntityType();

  /**
   * Gets the ID of the type of the entity.
   *
   * @return string
   *   The entity type ID.
   */
  public function getEntityTypeId();

core/modules/field/src/Entity/FieldStorageConfig.php
  /**
   * Loads a field config entity based on the entity type and field name.
   *
   * @param string $entity_type_id
   *   ID of the entity type.
   * @param string $field_name
   *   Name of the field.
   *
   * @return \Drupal\field\FieldStorageConfigInterface|null
   *   The field config entity if one exists for the provided field name,
   *   otherwise NULL.
   */
  public static function loadByName($entity_type_id, $field_name) {

But in the views part of the core,

core/modules/views/src/Plugin/views/ViewsHandlerInterface.php
  /**
   * Determines the entity type used by this handler.
   *
   * If this handler uses a relationship, the base class of the relationship is
   * taken into account.
   *
   * @return string
   *   The machine name of the entity type.
   */
  public function getEntityType();

Therefore, even getEntityType() is the right function a name getEntityTypeId() seems more suitable.

Back to NW as of #10

@Anybody, I think getEntityType/getEntityTypeId problem from #10 🐛 Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of Needs review should be an other issue. As a task. Don't you? Therefore, open an other issue and close this one?

@Chris64: I'm not into this enough. This issue should fix the issue from the summary and in from #5. If there's another, separate bug we should open a separate issue for that, yes.

@Anybody, I see about the summary and #5 🐛 Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of Needs review . As I said in #10 🐛 Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of Needs review at the beginning I don't think it is a problem from this module. I think,

Then the error is thrown if !isset($views_data['table']['entity type']). In a view a wrong relationship configuration may cause such a problem.

The message is still about some thing wrong. Therefore the problem for me is why $views_data['table']['entity type'] is not set? In view. How it is possible? That is not a Datatables module bug. However the question is interesting, and could need an answer. What should be done with it? Change the issue to a View issue?

Perhaps #3 helps?

It only happens if I make fields sortable.

is this reproducible or do we need details?

We can try to figure out better what's happened. From #3 🐛 Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of Needs review ,

It only happens if I make fields sortable.

Yes, since the troublesome function getEntityType() is only reached if the column if sortable,

      if (empty($options['info'][$field]['sortable']) || !$fields[$field]->clickSortable()) {
        $column_options['bSortable'] = FALSE;
      }
      else {
        $info = FieldStorageConfig::loadByName($fields[$field]->getEntityType(), $field);

#5 🐛 Error Exception: No entity type for field path on view redirect_404 in Drupal\views\Plugin\views\HandlerBase->getEntityType() (line 712 of Needs review is the closer,

The problem is that the module assumes sort fields are field objects on an entity which is fine for most cases but breaks on any table exposed to views that is not defined by an entity type.

Some fields could not provide their type through the getEntityType() function.

For example, from the summary, the type redirect_404 from module Redirect is set with relationship: none, and since,

    if (!empty($this->options['relationship']) && $this->options['relationship'] != 'none') {
...
    else {
      $views_data = $this->getViewsData()->get($this->view->storage->get('base_table'));
    }

'base_table' information are required. There is a base_table: redirect_404 but no annotation to provide a suitable getViewsData() function through views_data as said in https://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/core%21modules%21views%21views.api.php..., unlike for the type redirect.

A walkaround is to make not sortable columns with such a field. Knowing some unsupported types should make this easy to reproduce. Moreover, unsupported field types should be collected to know.

Indeed @Anybody there is a problem. May be the approach need to be changed. Here a proposition based on $fields[$field]->options['type'] instead.

Will try to ping some Views maintainers in Slack to collect opinions on this.