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Oracle Reader in FME 2026.3 – “Spatial Column” Error After Updating Reader

  • October 27, 2026
  • 1 reply
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fme_hans
Contributor
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Hi,

This concerns the Oracle Reader.

When a workspace created in FME 2025.x is opened and edited in FME 2026.3, I encounter an unexpected error with Oracle Readers.

We have Oracle tables that contain two SDO_GEOMETRY columns. Until now, it was possible to specify which spatial column to use directly in the Oracle Reader.

This still works in FME 2026.3, but only until you click Update Reader. If a spatial column is specified in the Spatial Column option after updating the reader, the following error occurs:

ORACLE Reader: 'Spatial Column' and 'Handle Multiple Spatial Columns' cannot be specified together

 

In previous versions of FME, the Oracle Reader had an option to specify whether the table contained multiple spatial columns. This option is no longer available, so I don't understand why this error occurs.

The workspace still runs if no spatial column is specified in the reader. However, in our case, the reader may select the wrong column, resulting in no usable geometry for the subsequent processing steps.

 

The new workflow (or workaround) seems to be to leave the Spatial Column option empty in the Oracle Reader and use a GeometryExtractor transformer immediately after the reader. The GeometryExtractor detects both geometry columns, allowing us to select the correct one.

I'm not sure whether this is an intentional change in workflow or a bug. In either case, the error message seems rather confusing, especially since the Handle Multiple Spatial Columns option is no longer available in the reader.

Has anyone else encountered this issue in FME 2026.3? Is this the intended behaviour, or could it be a bug?

Thanks!

1 reply

jovitaatsafe
Safer
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Hi ​@fme_hans,

Removing ‘Handle Multiple Spatial Columns’ was an intentional change as the parameter is enabled by default now, making it consistent with our other database formats like Microsoft SQL Server. 

I’ve filed a problem report for the 'Spatial Column’, tracked internally as (FMEENGINE-100142), sparked from this Q&A since specifying the column will lead to the error that you’re seeing. 

 

For anyone else running into this, you might be interested in checking out this article for more details on handling multiple spatial columns in FME 2026.3:  Writing to Database Tables that contain Multiple Geometry Columns - 2026.1 and newer.

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