fix(server): handle boolean metadata filters in span DSL by pandego · Pull Request #11805 · Arize-ai/phoenix

pandego · 2026-02-28T17:06:53Z

The spans filter DSL currently leaves metadata lookups as raw JSON when compared to booleans. In Postgres this can fail at runtime because JSON values are compared directly against boolean literals.

This change updates the filter translator to cast attribute/metadata JSON lookups to as_boolean() when the other side of the comparison is a boolean literal. Existing string/float behavior is unchanged.

Validation:

uv run ruff check src/phoenix/trace/dsl/filter.py tests/unit/trace/dsl/test_filter.py
uv run pytest tests/unit/trace/dsl/test_filter.py

Note

Medium Risk
Changes the filter AST translation logic for comparisons involving JSON attributes, which can affect generated SQL and query results. Scope is targeted to boolean literal comparisons and covered by new unit tests, but still impacts runtime filtering behavior.

Overview
Fixes span filter DSL boolean comparisons by detecting boolean literals and translating metadata[...]/attributes[...] lookups to as_boolean() instead of default string casting.

Tightens literal typing by excluding bool from _is_float_constant and adds unit tests covering ==, reversed operand order, and is/is not boolean comparisons to ensure correct translation.

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src/phoenix/trace/dsl/filter.py

axiomofjoy · 2026-03-04T16:40:25Z

Hey @pandego, I actually wasn't able to reproduce this issue on the latest version of Phoenix. Have you been able to reproduce?

pandego · 2026-03-06T16:11:32Z

Thanks for checking.

Here is the exact repro I used:

Create a span with metadata:
{
"is_empty": true
}
In Project -> Spans, click that metadata value (or manually apply):
metadata['is_empty'] == True
The spans query fails with an unexpected GraphQL error instead of returning filtered results.

If you are not seeing it on latest Phoenix, can you share the exact version/commit you tested?
I can retest against that and if this is already fixed upstream, I am happy to close this PR.

RogerHYang · 2026-03-06T16:22:36Z

Yes I can repro the issue.

(sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql.asyncpg.ProgrammingError) <class 'asyncpg.exceptions.UndefinedFunctionError'>: operator does not exist: double precision = boolean
HINT:  No operator matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.
[SQL: SELECT spans.id, spans.start_time AS "startTime_span_sort_column" 
FROM spans JOIN traces ON traces.id = spans.trace_rowid 
WHERE traces.project_rowid = $1::INTEGER AND spans.start_time >= $2::TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE AND CAST((spans.attributes #>> $3) AS FLOAT) = true AND spans.parent_id IS NULL ORDER BY "startTime_span_sort_column" DESC NULLS LAST, spans.id DESC 
 LIMIT $4::INTEGER]
[parameters: (3, datetime.datetime(2026, 2, 27, 16, 0, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), ['metadata', 'is_empty'], 31)]
(Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/f405)

GraphQL request:76:3
76 |   spans(first: $first, after: $after, sort: $sort, rootSpansOnly: $rootSpansOnly
   |   ^
   | , filterCondition: $filterCondition, orphanSpanAsRootSpan: $orphanSpanAsRootSpan
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 526, in _prepare_and_execute
    prepared_stmt, attributes = await adapt_connection._prepare(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 773, in _prepare
    prepared_stmt = await self._connection.prepare(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/asyncpg/connection.py", line 638, in prepare
    return await self._prepare(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/asyncpg/connection.py", line 657, in _prepare
    stmt = await self._get_statement(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/asyncpg/connection.py", line 443, in _get_statement
    statement = await self._protocol.prepare(
  File "asyncpg/protocol/protocol.pyx", line 165, in prepare
asyncpg.exceptions.UndefinedFunctionError: operator does not exist: double precision = boolean
HINT:  No operator matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1967, in _exec_single_context
    self.dialect.do_execute(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 952, in do_execute
    cursor.execute(statement, parameters)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 585, in execute
    self._adapt_connection.await_(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/_concurrency_py3k.py", line 132, in await_only
    return current.parent.switch(awaitable)  # type: ignore[no-any-return,attr-defined] # noqa: E501
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/_concurrency_py3k.py", line 196, in greenlet_spawn
    value = await result
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 563, in _prepare_and_execute
    self._handle_exception(error)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 513, in _handle_exception
    self._adapt_connection._handle_exception(error)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 797, in _handle_exception
    raise translated_error from error
sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql.asyncpg.AsyncAdapt_asyncpg_dbapi.ProgrammingError: <class 'asyncpg.exceptions.UndefinedFunctionError'>: operator does not exist: double precision = boolean
HINT:  No operator matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/graphql/execution/execute.py", line 530, in await_result
    return_type, field_nodes, info, path, await result
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/strawberry/schema/schema_converter.py", line 787, in _async_resolver
    return await await_maybe(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/strawberry/utils/await_maybe.py", line 13, in await_maybe
    return await value
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/src/phoenix/server/api/types/Project.py", line 393, in spans
    span_records = await session.stream(stmt)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/ext/asyncio/session.py", line 681, in stream
    result = await greenlet_spawn(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/_concurrency_py3k.py", line 201, in greenlet_spawn
    result = context.throw(*sys.exc_info())
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 2351, in execute
    return self._execute_internal(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 2249, in _execute_internal
    result: Result[Any] = compile_state_cls.orm_execute_statement(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/context.py", line 306, in orm_execute_statement
    result = conn.execute(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1419, in execute
    return meth(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/sql/elements.py", line 527, in _execute_on_connection
    return connection._execute_clauseelement(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1641, in _execute_clauseelement
    ret = self._execute_context(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1846, in _execute_context
    return self._exec_single_context(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1986, in _exec_single_context
    self._handle_dbapi_exception(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 2363, in _handle_dbapi_exception
    raise sqlalchemy_exception.with_traceback(exc_info[2]) from e
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1967, in _exec_single_context
    self.dialect.do_execute(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 952, in do_execute
    cursor.execute(statement, parameters)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 585, in execute
    self._adapt_connection.await_(
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/_concurrency_py3k.py", line 132, in await_only
    return current.parent.switch(awaitable)  # type: ignore[no-any-return,attr-defined] # noqa: E501
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/_concurrency_py3k.py", line 196, in greenlet_spawn
    value = await result
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 563, in _prepare_and_execute
    self._handle_exception(error)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 513, in _handle_exception
    self._adapt_connection._handle_exception(error)
  File "/Users/rogeryang/phoenix/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/asyncpg.py", line 797, in _handle_exception
    raise translated_error from error
sqlalchemy.exc.ProgrammingError: (sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql.asyncpg.ProgrammingError) <class 'asyncpg.exceptions.UndefinedFunctionError'>: operator does not exist: double precision = boolean
HINT:  No operator matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.
[SQL: SELECT spans.id, spans.start_time AS "startTime_span_sort_column" 
FROM spans JOIN traces ON traces.id = spans.trace_rowid 
WHERE traces.project_rowid = $1::INTEGER AND spans.start_time >= $2::TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE AND CAST((spans.attributes #>> $3) AS FLOAT) = true AND spans.parent_id IS NULL ORDER BY "startTime_span_sort_column" DESC NULLS LAST, spans.id DESC 
 LIMIT $4::INTEGER]
[parameters: (3, datetime.datetime(2026, 2, 27, 16, 0, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), ['metadata', 'is_empty'], 31)]

pandego · 2026-03-06T16:28:00Z

Quick confirmation from my side on latest main (d2617f2): I can still reproduce.

I tested metadata['is_empty'] == True and it translates to:
attributes[['metadata', 'is_empty']].as_float() == True

So boolean metadata is still being cast as float in the filter translator.

RogerHYang · 2026-03-09T17:19:39Z

Thank you for your contribution!

fix(server): cast metadata boolean filters to JSON boolean

86292fd

pandego requested a review from a team as a code owner February 28, 2026 17:06

github-project-automation bot added this to phoenix Feb 28, 2026

github-project-automation bot moved this to 📘 Todo in phoenix Feb 28, 2026

dosubot bot added the size:M This PR changes 30-99 lines, ignoring generated files. label Feb 28, 2026

style: apply formatter changes for PR 11805

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cursor bot reviewed Feb 28, 2026

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chore: remove unused bool attribute helper

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mikeldking assigned RogerHYang Mar 2, 2026

RogerHYang moved this from 📘 Todo to 👨‍💻 In progress in phoenix Mar 6, 2026

RogerHYang approved these changes Mar 9, 2026

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github-project-automation bot moved this from 👨‍💻 In progress to 👍 Approved in phoenix Mar 9, 2026

RogerHYang merged commit deb84a6 into Arize-ai:main Mar 9, 2026
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github-project-automation bot moved this from 👍 Approved to ✅ Done in phoenix Mar 9, 2026

mikeldking mentioned this pull request Mar 9, 2026

chore(main): release arize-phoenix 13.12.0 #11957

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fix(server): handle boolean metadata filters in span DSL#11805

fix(server): handle boolean metadata filters in span DSL#11805
RogerHYang merged 3 commits intoArize-ai:mainfrom
pandego:fix/11743-bool-metadata-filter

pandego commented Feb 28, 2026 •

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