When using spatial data: The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument

[anton-martyniuk]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Product

Hot Chocolate

Describe the bug

I am trying to use spatial types with EF Core from postgres (postgis) database.
I have the following entity:

public class Region
{
    public required Guid Id { get; set; }
    
    public required Geometry? Geometry { get; set; }
    
    public required string AgreementNumber { get; set; }

    public required DateTime AgreementDate { get; set; }
 
    public required string Status { get; set; }
}

In the mapping:

entity.Property(e => e.Geometry)
                .HasColumnName("geom")
                .HasColumnType("geometry");

And a query type:
[QueryType]
public class RegionQueries
{
    [UseProjection]
    [UseFiltering]
    public IQueryable<Region> GetRegions(ApplicationDbContext dbContext)
    {
        return dbContext.Regions;
    }
}

I register GraphQL in DI as follows:

services
            .AddGraphQLServer()
            .AddAuthorization()
            .AddQueryType()
            .AddMutationType()
            .AddSpatialTypes()
            
            .AddFiltering()
            .AddProjections()
            .AddSpatialFiltering()
            .AddSpatialProjections()
            .AddSorting()
            
            // Custom queries and mutations
            .AddUserTypes()
            .AddRegionTypes()
            .RegisterDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>();

When I start my asp.net core app I get error on startup when trying to create a graphql executor:

var executor = await app.Services.GetRequestExecutorAsync();
await File.WriteAllTextAsync("schema.graphql", executor.Schema.ToString());

Error:

HotChocolate.SchemaException: For more details look at the `Errors` property.

1. The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument.

   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeInitializer.DiscoverTypes()
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeInitializer.Initialize()

Steps to reproduce

1. Install the following Nuget packages:

<PackageReference Include="HotChocolate.AspNetCore" Version="13.6.1" />
<PackageReference Include="HotChocolate.AspNetCore.Authorization" Version="13.6.1" />
<PackageReference Include="HotChocolate.Data" Version="13.6.1" />
<PackageReference Include="HotChocolate.Types.Analyzers" Version="13.6.1">
    <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
    <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
</PackageReference>
<PackageReference Include="HotChocolate.Types.Spatial" Version="13.6.1" />
<PackageReference Include="NetTopologySuite" Version="2.5.0" />
<PackageReference Include="Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL" Version="7.0.11" />
<PackageReference Include="Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL.NetTopologySuite" Version="7.0.11" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools" Version="7.0.12">
    <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
</PackageReference>

2. Create an entity, mapping and EfCore Dbcontext with Geometry type

3. Create GraphQL query that returns IQueryable with entity that has Geometry type

4. Initialize graphql to perform schema creation

5. Get exception

Relevant log output

HotChocolate.SchemaException: For more details look at the `Errors` property.

1. The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument.

   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeInitializer.DiscoverTypes()
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeInitializer.Initialize()
   at HotChocolate.SchemaBuilder.Setup.InitializeTypes(SchemaBuilder builder, IDescriptorContext context, IReadOnlyList`1 types)
   at HotChocolate.SchemaBuilder.Setup.Create(SchemaBuilder builder, LazySchema lazySchema, IDescriptorContext context)
   at HotChocolate.SchemaBuilder.Create(IDescriptorContext context)
   at HotChocolate.SchemaBuilder.HotChocolate.ISchemaBuilder.Create(IDescriptorContext context)
   at HotChocolate.Execution.RequestExecutorResolver.CreateSchemaAsync(ConfigurationContext context, RequestExecutorSetup setup, RequestExecutorOptions executorOptions, IServiceProvider schemaServices, TypeModuleChangeMonitor typeModuleChangeMonitor, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at HotChocolate.Execution.RequestExecutorResolver.CreateSchemaServicesAsync(ConfigurationContext context, RequestExecutorSetup setup, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at HotChocolate.Execution.RequestExecutorResolver.GetRequestExecutorNoLockAsync(String schemaName, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at HotChocolate.Execution.RequestExecutorResolver.GetRequestExecutorAsync(String schemaName, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
   at Program.<Main>$(String[] args) in ...

Errors property has:
{
  "message": "The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument.",
  "extensions": {},
  "exception": "The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument."
}

System.ArgumentException: The type 'System.Byte*' may not be used as a type argument.
   at System.RuntimeType.ThrowIfTypeNeverValidGenericArgument(RuntimeType type)
   at System.RuntimeType.MakeGenericType(Type[] instantiation)
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeRefHelper.CreateTypeRef(ITypeInspector typeInspector, Type schemaType, TypeDiscoveryInfo typeInfo, TypeReference originalTypeRef)
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.DefaultTypeDiscoveryHandler.TryInferType(TypeReference typeReference, TypeDiscoveryInfo typeInfo, TypeReference[]& schemaTypeRefs)
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeDiscoveryDescriptorContextExtensions.TryInferSchemaType(IDescriptorContext context, TypeReference unresolvedTypeRef, TypeReference[]& schemaTypeRefs)
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeDiscoverer.TryInferTypes()
   at HotChocolate.Configuration.TypeDiscoverer.DiscoverTypes()

Additional Context?

I use postgis in docker on windows containers, image: postgis/postgis:16-3.4

Version

13.6.1

[clintsinger]

I'm running into this issue as well. It seems that the root Geometry type isn't correctly mapped. If you were to use some of the derived types such as Polygon or Point directly then the error will go away.

[clintsinger]

I found a partial solution on #4516

If I follow the instructions the Geometry error does go away but you aren't able to include the .AddSpatial() for the remaining types.

You can manually add all of the other types except for the

.TryAddConvention<ISpatialConvention>(conventionFactory())
.TryAddTypeInterceptor<GeometryTransformerInterceptor>()

due to them being internal.

Is there a possible fix that satisfies being able to use .AddSpatial() and to also get what everyone seems to need which is a call to .AddType(new GeometryType("Geometry", BindingBehavior.Implicit))?

If you try to combine them there is an error about duplicate Geometry

[danielalvsaaker]

In my experience, .BindRuntimeType<Geometry, GeoJsonInterfaceType>() should function as a temporary workaround.