How to solve Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails?

Question

I want to delete user on the basis of phone number. So I made a custom query to delete that particular user. But getting error that cannot delete or update foreign key. So below is my user entity. Below is custom query that I am trying to delete a user.

@Modifying
@Query("DELETE from User u where u.phone = ?1 AND u.phoneverify=?2")
void deleteUserByPhoneFromDB(String phoneNumber, int phoneverify);

@Entity
@Table(name = "user")
@XmlRootElement(name = "user")
@Data
@Builder
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
public class User implements UserDetails {
    @Id
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    Long userid;
    
    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name = "createdby")
    @JsonBackReference
    private User createdby;

    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name = "modifiedby")
    @JsonBackReference
    private User modifiedby;

    @ManyToOne
    @JoinColumn(name="cdlstate")
    private State cdlstate;

    @ElementCollection(fetch = FetchType.EAGER)
    @Builder.Default
    private List<String> roles = new ArrayList<>();
    @Override
    public Collection<? extends GrantedAuthority> getAuthorities() {
        return this.roles.stream().map(SimpleGrantedAuthority::new).collect(toList());
    }

    /*All getter method of UserDetails*/
}
2022-07-20 09:09:57.642 ERROR 4464 --- [nio-9094-exec-1] o.h.engine.jdbc.spi.SqlExceptionHelper   : Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails (`databasename`.`user`, CONSTRAINT `FKtiku3c61ymdfiithyopqhguep` FOREIGN KEY (`modifiedby`) REFERENCES `user` (`userid`))
could not execute statement; SQL [n/a]; constraint [null]; nested exception is org.hibernate.exception.ConstraintViolationException: could not execute statement
org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException: could not execute statement; SQL [n/a]; constraint [null]; nested exception is org.hibernate.exception.ConstraintViolationException: could not execute statement
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.vendor.HibernateJpaDialect.convertHibernateAccessException(HibernateJpaDialect.java:296)
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.vendor.HibernateJpaDialect.translateExceptionIfPossible(HibernateJpaDialect.java:253)
    at org.springframework.orm.jpa.AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.translateExceptionIfPossible(AbstractEntityManagerFactoryBean.java:527)
    at org.springframework.dao.support.ChainedPersistenceExceptionTranslator.translateExceptionIfPossible(ChainedPersistenceExceptionTranslator.java:61)
    at org.springframework.dao.support.DataAccessUtils.translateIfNecessary(DataAccessUtils.java:242)
    at org.springframework.dao.support.PersistenceExceptionTranslationInterceptor.invoke(PersistenceExceptionTranslationInterceptor.java:153)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186)
    at org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.support.CrudMethodMetadataPostProcessor$CrudMethodMetadataPopulatingMethodInterceptor.invoke(CrudMethodMetadataPostProcessor.java:144)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186)
    at org.springframework.data.jpa.repository.support.CrudMethodMetadataPostProcessor$ExposeRepositoryInvocationInterceptor.invoke(CrudMethodMetadataPostProcessor.java:364)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186)
    at org.springframework.aop.interceptor.ExposeInvocationInterceptor.invoke(ExposeInvocationInterceptor.java:93)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186)
    at org.springframework.data.repository.core.support.SurroundingTransactionDetectorMethodInterceptor.invoke(SurroundingTransactionDetectorMethodInterceptor.java:61)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.ReflectiveMethodInvocation.proceed(ReflectiveMethodInvocation.java:186)
    at org.springframework.aop.framework.JdkDynamicAopProxy.invoke(JdkDynamicAopProxy.java:212)
    at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy146.deleteUserByPhoneFromDB(Unknown Source)
    at wing.rakhi.ecdl.handler.RestApiController.deleteUser(RestApiController.java:2550)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.doInvoke(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:190)
    at org.springframework.web.method.support.InvocableHandlerMethod.invokeForRequest(InvocableHandlerMethod.java:138)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.invokeAndHandle(ServletInvocableHandlerMethod.java:104)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.invokeHandlerMethod(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:892)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.annotation.RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.handleInternal(RequestMappingHandlerAdapter.java:797)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.method.AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.handle(AbstractHandlerMethodAdapter.java:87)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1039)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:942)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1005)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doPost(FrameworkServlet.java:908)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:660)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:741)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:231)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:53)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.web.trace.servlet.HttpTraceFilter.doFilterInternal(HttpTraceFilter.java:88)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:320)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:127)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:91)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:119)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:137)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:111)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:170)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:63)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at wing.rakhi.ecdl.security.jwt.JwtTokenFilter.doFilter(JwtTokenFilter.java:47)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:116)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.header.HeaderWriterFilter.doFilterInternal(HeaderWriterFilter.java:74)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:105)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.context.request.async.WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.doFilterInternal(WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.java:56)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:215)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:178)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:357)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:270)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:99)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.FormContentFilter.doFilterInternal(FormContentFilter.java:92)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:93)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.metrics.web.servlet.WebMvcMetricsFilter.filterAndRecordMetrics(WebMvcMetricsFilter.java:114)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.metrics.web.servlet.WebMvcMetricsFilter.doFilterInternal(WebMvcMetricsFilter.java:104)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:200)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:118)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:202)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:96)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:490)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:139)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:92)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:343)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:408)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:66)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:853)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1587)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:49)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:750)
Caused by: com.mysql.jdbc.exceptions.jdbc4.MySQLIntegrityConstraintViolationException: Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails (`databasename`.`user`, CONSTRAINT `FKtiku3c61ymdfiithyopqhguep` FOREIGN KEY (`modifiedby`) REFERENCES `user` (`userid`))
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
    at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:423)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.Util.handleNewInstance(Util.java:406)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.Util.getInstance(Util.java:381)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.SQLError.createSQLException(SQLError.java:1015)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.SQLError.createSQLException(SQLError.java:956)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:3491)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:3423)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sendCommand(MysqlIO.java:1936)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sqlQueryDirect(MysqlIO.java:2060)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.ConnectionImpl.execSQL(ConnectionImpl.java:2542)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeInternal(PreparedStatement.java:1734)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeUpdate(PreparedStatement.java:2019)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeUpdate(PreparedStatement.java:1937)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.PreparedStatement.executeUpdate(PreparedStatement.java:1922)
    at com.zaxxer.hikari.pool.ProxyPreparedStatement.executeUpdate(ProxyPreparedStatement.java:61)
    at com.zaxxer.hikari.pool.HikariProxyPreparedStatement.executeUpdate(HikariProxyPreparedStatement.java)
    at org.hibernate.engine.jdbc.internal.ResultSetReturnImpl.executeUpdate(ResultSetReturnImpl.java:175)

Modified and created by is acting as a foreign key. So how should I remove this foreign key having many to one relationship with self joining table?

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 20 '22 at 06:23

Something is referencing the User table with a foreign key. The full stack trace will likely tell you which table it is, or which constraint it is, from which you should be able to find out the table.

Once you identified the foreign key causing the problems you have the following options:

remove the rows referencing the user you want to delete.
update the rows referencing the user you want to delete to not reference that user anymore.
change you schema to not have that foreign key. This is in most cases not a good idea, since it will leave you with dangling pointers in your database. But there are use cases for this approach.
change the cascading behaviour of the foreign key.

Thank you, it worked by changing cascading behavior of foreign key. — Rakhi, Jul 20 '22 at 06:43
But there is another problem occurs, that if I delete a user that that user did not get deleted from user_roles table. — Rakhi, Jul 20 '22 at 07:01

How to solve Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails?

1 Answers1