optbuilder: do not create invalid casts when building COALESCE and IF

The optbuilder no longer creates invalid casts when building COALESCE
and IF expressions that have children with different types. Expressions
that previously caused internal errors now result in user-facing errors.
Both UNION and CASE expressions had similar bugs that were recently
fixed in #75219 and #76193.

This commit also updates the `tree.ReType` function to return `ok=false`
if there is no valid cast to re-type the expression to the given type.
This forces callers to explicitly deal with situations where re-typing
is not possible and it ensures that the function never creates invalid
casts. This will make it easier to track down future related bugs
because internal errors should originate from the call site of
`tree.ReType` rather than from logic further along in the optimization
process (in the case of #76807 the internal error originated from the
logical props builder when it attempted to lookup the volatility of the
invalid cast).

This commit also adds special logic to make casts from any tuple type to
`types.AnyTuple` valid immutable, implicit casts. Evaluation of these
casts are no-ops. Users cannot construct these casts, but they are built
by optbuilder in some cases.

Fixes #76807

Release justification: This is a low-risk change that fixes a minor bug.

Release note (bug fix): A bug has been fixed that caused internal errors
when COALESCE and IF expressions had inner expressions with different
types that could not be cast to a common type.

pkg/sql/opt/exec/execbuilder/scalar.go

@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ func (b *Builder) buildTypedExpr(
 }
 
 func (b *Builder) buildNull(ctx *buildScalarCtx, scalar opt.ScalarExpr) (tree.TypedExpr, error) {
-	return tree.ReType(tree.DNull, scalar.DataType()), nil
+	retypedNull, ok := tree.ReType(tree.DNull, scalar.DataType())
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.AssertionFailedf("failed to retype NULL to %s", scalar.DataType())
+	}
+	return retypedNull, nil
 }
 
 func (b *Builder) buildVariable(

pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/scalar.go

@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 		return b.finishBuildScalarRef(t.col, inScope, outScope, outCol, colRefs)
 
 	case *tree.AndExpr:
-		left := b.buildScalar(tree.ReType(t.TypedLeft(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
-		right := b.buildScalar(tree.ReType(t.TypedRight(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
+		left := b.buildScalar(reType(t.TypedLeft(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
+		right := b.buildScalar(reType(t.TypedRight(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		out = b.factory.ConstructAnd(left, right)
 
 	case *tree.Array:
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 		// select the right overload. The solution is to wrap any mismatched
 		// arguments with a CastExpr that preserves the static type.
 
-		left := tree.ReType(t.TypedLeft(), t.ResolvedBinOp().LeftType)
-		right := tree.ReType(t.TypedRight(), t.ResolvedBinOp().RightType)
+		left := reType(t.TypedLeft(), t.ResolvedBinOp().LeftType)
+		right := reType(t.TypedRight(), t.ResolvedBinOp().RightType)
 		out = b.constructBinary(
 			treebin.MakeBinaryOperator(t.Operator.Symbol),
 			b.buildScalar(left, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs),
@@ -235,43 +235,32 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 			input = memo.TrueSingleton
 		}
 
-		// validateCastToValType panics if tree.ReType with the given source
-		// type would create an invalid cast to valType.
-		validateCastToValType := func(src *types.T) {
-			if valType.Family() == types.AnyFamily || src.Identical(valType) {
-				// If valType's family is AnyFamily or src is identical to
-				// valType, then tree.Retype will not create a cast expression.
-				return
-			}
-			if tree.ValidCast(src, valType, tree.CastContextExplicit) {
-				// TODO(#75103): For legacy reasons, we check for a valid cast
-				// in the most permissive context, CastContextExplicit. To be
-				// consistent with Postgres, we should check for a valid cast in
-				// the most restrictive context, CastContextImplicit.
-				return
-			}
-			panic(pgerror.Newf(
-				pgcode.DatatypeMismatch,
-				"CASE types %s and %s cannot be matched", src, valType,
-			))
-		}
-
 		whens := make(memo.ScalarListExpr, 0, len(t.Whens)+1)
 		for i := range t.Whens {
 			condExpr := t.Whens[i].Cond.(tree.TypedExpr)
 			cond := b.buildScalar(condExpr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
-			valExpr := t.Whens[i].Val.(tree.TypedExpr)
-			validateCastToValType(valExpr.ResolvedType())
-			valExpr = tree.ReType(valExpr, valType)
+			valExpr, ok := tree.ReType(t.Whens[i].Val.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+			if !ok {
+				panic(pgerror.Newf(
+					pgcode.DatatypeMismatch,
+					"CASE WHEN types %s and %s cannot be matched",
+					t.Whens[i].Val.(tree.TypedExpr).ResolvedType(), valType,
+				))
+			}
 			val := b.buildScalar(valExpr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 			whens = append(whens, b.factory.ConstructWhen(cond, val))
 		}
 		// Add the ELSE expression to the end of whens as a raw scalar expression.
 		var orElse opt.ScalarExpr
 		if t.Else != nil {
-			elseExpr := t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr)
-			validateCastToValType(elseExpr.ResolvedType())
-			elseExpr = tree.ReType(elseExpr, valType)
+			elseExpr, ok := tree.ReType(t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+			if !ok {
+				panic(pgerror.Newf(
+					pgcode.DatatypeMismatch,
+					"CASE ELSE type %s cannot be matched to WHEN type %s",
+					t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr).ResolvedType(), valType,
+				))
+			}
 			orElse = b.buildScalar(elseExpr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		} else {
 			orElse = b.factory.ConstructNull(valType)
@@ -290,7 +279,14 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 			// The type of the CoalesceExpr might be different than the inputs (e.g.
 			// when they are NULL). Force all inputs to be the same type, so that we
 			// build coalesce operator with the correct type.
-			expr := tree.ReType(t.TypedExprAt(i), typ)
+			expr, ok := tree.ReType(t.TypedExprAt(i), typ)
+			if !ok {
+				panic(pgerror.Newf(
+					pgcode.DatatypeMismatch,
+					"COALESCE types %s and %s cannot be matched",
+					t.TypedExprAt(i).ResolvedType(), typ,
+				))
+			}
 			args[i] = b.buildScalar(expr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		}
 		out = b.factory.ConstructCoalesce(args)
@@ -328,10 +324,19 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 	case *tree.IfExpr:
 		valType := t.ResolvedType()
 		input := b.buildScalar(t.Cond.(tree.TypedExpr), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
-		ifTrueExpr := tree.ReType(t.True.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+		// Re-typing the True expression should always succeed because they
+		// are given the same type during type-checking.
+		ifTrueExpr := reType(t.True.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
 		ifTrue := b.buildScalar(ifTrueExpr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		whens := memo.ScalarListExpr{b.factory.ConstructWhen(memo.TrueSingleton, ifTrue)}
-		orElseExpr := tree.ReType(t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+		orElseExpr, ok := tree.ReType(t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+		if !ok {
+			panic(pgerror.Newf(
+				pgcode.DatatypeMismatch,
+				"IF types %s and %s cannot be matched",
+				t.Else.(tree.TypedExpr).ResolvedType(), valType,
+			))
+		}
 		orElse := b.buildScalar(orElseExpr, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		out = b.factory.ConstructCase(input, whens, orElse)
 
@@ -343,7 +348,7 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 		out = b.factory.ConstructVariable(inScope.cols[t.Idx].id)
 
 	case *tree.NotExpr:
-		input := b.buildScalar(tree.ReType(t.TypedInnerExpr(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
+		input := b.buildScalar(reType(t.TypedInnerExpr(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		out = b.factory.ConstructNot(input)
 
 	case *tree.IsNullExpr:
@@ -368,7 +373,7 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 		// of the NULLIF expression so that type inference will be correct in the
 		// CASE expression constructed below. For example, the type of
 		// NULLIF(NULL, 0) should be int.
-		expr1 := tree.ReType(t.Expr1.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
+		expr1 := reType(t.Expr1.(tree.TypedExpr), valType)
 		input := b.buildScalar(expr1, inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		cond := b.buildScalar(t.Expr2.(tree.TypedExpr), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		whens := memo.ScalarListExpr{
@@ -377,8 +382,8 @@ func (b *Builder) buildScalar(
 		out = b.factory.ConstructCase(input, whens, input)
 
 	case *tree.OrExpr:
-		left := b.buildScalar(tree.ReType(t.TypedLeft(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
-		right := b.buildScalar(tree.ReType(t.TypedRight(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
+		left := b.buildScalar(reType(t.TypedLeft(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
+		right := b.buildScalar(reType(t.TypedRight(), types.Bool), inScope, nil, nil, colRefs)
 		out = b.factory.ConstructOr(left, right)
 
 	case *tree.ParenExpr:
@@ -875,3 +880,20 @@ func (sb *ScalarBuilder) Build(expr tree.Expr) (err error) {
 	sb.factory.Memo().SetScalarRoot(scalar)
 	return nil
 }
+
+// reType is similar to tree.ReType, except that it panics with an internal
+// error if the expression cannot be re-typed. This should only be used when
+// re-typing is expected to always be successful. For example, it is used to
+// re-type the left and right children of an OrExpr to booleans, which should
+// always succeed during the optbuild phase because type-checking has already
+// validated the types of the children.
+func reType(expr tree.TypedExpr, typ *types.T) tree.TypedExpr {
+	retypedExpr, ok := tree.ReType(expr, typ)
+	if !ok {
+		panic(errors.AssertionFailedf(
+			"expected successful retype from %s to %s",
+			expr.ResolvedType(), typ,
+		))
+	}
+	return retypedExpr
+}

pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/testdata/scalar

@@ -1494,9 +1494,47 @@ is [type=bool]
 build
 SELECT CASE WHEN false THEN ARRAY[('', 0)] ELSE ARRAY[]::RECORD[] END
 ----
-error (42804): CASE types tuple[] and tuple{string, int}[] cannot be matched
+error (42804): CASE ELSE type tuple[] cannot be matched to WHEN type tuple{string, int}[]
 
 build
 SELECT CASE WHEN false THEN ARRAY[('', 0)] WHEN true THEN ARRAY[]::RECORD[] ELSE ARRAY[('', 0)] END
 ----
-error (42804): CASE types tuple[] and tuple{string, int}[] cannot be matched
+error (42804): CASE WHEN types tuple[] and tuple{string, int}[] cannot be matched
+
+# Regression test for #76807. Do not create invalid casts when building COALESCE
+# and IF expressions.
+build
+SELECT COALESCE(t.v, ARRAY[]:::RECORD[])
+FROM (VALUES (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')])) AS t(v)
+----
+error (42804): COALESCE types tuple[] and tuple{int, string}[] cannot be matched
+
+build
+SELECT COALESCE(ARRAY[]:::RECORD[], t.v)
+FROM (VALUES (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')])) AS t(v)
+----
+project
+ ├── columns: coalesce:2
+ ├── values
+ │    ├── columns: column1:1
+ │    └── (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')],)
+ └── projections
+      └── COALESCE(ARRAY[], column1:1::RECORD[]) [as=coalesce:2]
+
+build
+SELECT IF(true, t.v, ARRAY[]:::RECORD[])
+FROM (VALUES (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')])) AS t(v)
+----
+error (42804): IF types tuple[] and tuple{int, string}[] cannot be matched
+
+build
+SELECT IF(true, ARRAY[]:::RECORD[], t.v)
+FROM (VALUES (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')])) AS t(v)
+----
+project
+ ├── columns: if:2
+ ├── values
+ │    ├── columns: column1:1
+ │    └── (ARRAY[(1, 'foo')],)
+ └── projections
+      └── CASE WHEN true THEN ARRAY[] ELSE column1:1::RECORD[] END [as=if:2]

pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/window.go

@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func (b *Builder) getTypedWindowArgs(w *windowInfo) []tree.TypedExpr {
 			argExprs = append(argExprs, tree.NewDInt(1))
 		}
 		if len(argExprs) < 3 {
-			null := tree.ReType(tree.DNull, argExprs[0].ResolvedType())
+			null := reType(tree.DNull, argExprs[0].ResolvedType())
 			argExprs = append(argExprs, null)
 		}
 	}

pkg/sql/sem/tree/cast.go

@@ -1283,7 +1283,11 @@ func ValidCast(src, tgt *types.T, ctx CastContext) bool {
 
 	// If src and tgt are tuple types, check for a valid cast between each
 	// corresponding tuple element.
-	if srcFamily == types.TupleFamily && tgtFamily == types.TupleFamily {
+	//
+	// Casts from a tuple type to AnyTuple are a no-op so they are always valid.
+	// If tgt is AnyTuple, we continue to lookupCast below which contains a
+	// special case for these casts.
+	if srcFamily == types.TupleFamily && tgtFamily == types.TupleFamily && tgt != types.AnyTuple {
 		srcTypes := src.TupleContents()
 		tgtTypes := tgt.TupleContents()
 		// The tuple types must have the same number of elements.
@@ -1375,6 +1379,15 @@ func lookupCast(src, tgt *types.T, intervalStyleEnabled, dateStyleEnabled bool)
 		}, true
 	}
 
+	// Casts from any tuple type to AnyTuple are no-ops, so they are implicit
+	// and immutable.
+	if srcFamily == types.TupleFamily && tgt == types.AnyTuple {
+		return cast{
+			maxContext: CastContextImplicit,
+			volatility: VolatilityImmutable,
+		}, true
+	}
+
 	// Casts from string types to array and tuple types are stable and allowed
 	// in explicit contexts.
 	if srcFamily == types.StringFamily &&

pkg/sql/sem/tree/constant_eval.go

@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 
 package tree
 
+import "github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
+
 // ConstantEvalVisitor replaces constant TypedExprs with the result of Eval.
 type ConstantEvalVisitor struct {
 	ctx *EvalContext
@@ -58,7 +60,12 @@ func (v *ConstantEvalVisitor) VisitPost(expr Expr) Expr {
 	if value == DNull {
 		// We don't want to return an expression that has a different type; cast
 		// the NULL if necessary.
-		return ReType(DNull, typedExpr.ResolvedType())
+		retypedNull, ok := ReType(DNull, typedExpr.ResolvedType())
+		if !ok {
+			v.err = errors.AssertionFailedf("failed to retype NULL to %s", typedExpr.ResolvedType())
+			return expr
+		}
+		return retypedNull
 	}
 	return value
 }

pkg/sql/sem/tree/normalize.go

@@ -135,37 +135,39 @@ func (expr *BinaryExpr) normalize(v *NormalizeVisitor) TypedExpr {
 	switch expr.Operator.Symbol {
 	case treebin.Plus:
 		if v.isNumericZero(right) {
-			final = ReType(left, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(left, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 		if v.isNumericZero(left) {
-			final = ReType(right, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(right, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 	case treebin.Minus:
 		if types.IsAdditiveType(left.ResolvedType()) && v.isNumericZero(right) {
-			final = ReType(left, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(left, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 	case treebin.Mult:
 		if v.isNumericOne(right) {
-			final = ReType(left, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(left, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 		if v.isNumericOne(left) {
-			final = ReType(right, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(right, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 		// We can't simplify multiplication by zero to zero,
 		// because if the other operand is NULL during evaluation
 		// the result must be NULL.
 	case treebin.Div, treebin.FloorDiv:
 		if v.isNumericOne(right) {
-			final = ReType(left, expectedType)
+			final, _ = ReType(left, expectedType)
 			break
 		}
 	}
 
+	// final is nil when the binary expression did not match the cases above,
+	// or when ReType was unsuccessful.
 	if final == nil {
 		return expr
 	}
@@ -710,7 +712,12 @@ func (v *NormalizeVisitor) VisitPost(expr Expr) Expr {
 		if value == DNull {
 			// We don't want to return an expression that has a different type; cast
 			// the NULL if necessary.
-			return ReType(DNull, expr.(TypedExpr).ResolvedType())
+			retypedNull, ok := ReType(DNull, expr.(TypedExpr).ResolvedType())
+			if !ok {
+				v.err = errors.AssertionFailedf("failed to retype NULL to %s", expr.(TypedExpr).ResolvedType())
+				return expr
+			}
+			return retypedNull
 		}
 		return value
 	}
@@ -942,14 +949,23 @@ func init() {
 	DecimalOne.SetInt64(1)
 }
 
-// ReType ensures that the given expression evaluates
-// to the requested type, inserting a cast if necessary.
-func ReType(expr TypedExpr, wantedType *types.T) TypedExpr {
+// ReType ensures that the given expression evaluates to the requested type,
+// wrapping the expression in a cast if necessary. Returns ok=false if a cast
+// cannot wrap the expression because no valid cast from the expression's type
+// to the wanted type exists.
+func ReType(expr TypedExpr, wantedType *types.T) (_ TypedExpr, ok bool) {
 	resolvedType := expr.ResolvedType()
 	if wantedType.Family() == types.AnyFamily || resolvedType.Identical(wantedType) {
-		return expr
+		return expr, true
+	}
+	// TODO(#75103): For legacy reasons, we check for a valid cast in the most
+	// permissive context, CastContextExplicit. To be consistent with Postgres,
+	// we should check for a valid cast in the most restrictive context,
+	// CastContextImplicit.
+	if !ValidCast(resolvedType, wantedType, CastContextExplicit) {
+		return nil, false
 	}
 	res := &CastExpr{Expr: expr, Type: wantedType}
 	res.typ = wantedType
-	return res
+	return res, true
 }