BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause

Dhruv-22 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:16:06 GMT

I am referring to this link of databricks documentation. Here is a screenshot of the same

According to the documentation the UPDATE command should work when the target table doesn't have the column but it is present in source. I tried the same with the following code and it failed.

%sql CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE edw_nprd_aen.bronze.test_table ( a INT , b STRING ); INSERT INTO edw_nprd_aen.bronze.test_table VALUES (1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c'); SELECT * FROM edw_nprd_aen.bronze.test_table

%sql CREATE OR REPLACE TEMPORARY VIEW test_view ( a , c ) AS VALUES (1, 'e'), (2, NULL), (3, 'd');

%sql MERGE WITH SCHEMA EVOLUTION INTO edw_nprd_aen.bronze.test_table USING test_view ON test_table.a = test_view.a WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET test_table.c = test_view.c #Output [DELTA_MERGE_UNRESOLVED_EXPRESSION] Cannot resolve test_table.c in UPDATE clause given columns test_view.a, test_view.c. SQLSTATE: 42601 == SQL (line 1, position 1) == MERGE WITH SCHEMA EVOLUTION INTO edw_nprd_aen.bronze.test_table ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ USING test_view ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ON test_table.a = test_view.a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ test_table.c = test_view.c ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have run this on both serverless and all-purpose cluster.

Re: BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause

iyashk-DB — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:13:05 GMT

@Dhruv-22 I tested this and when I do something like follows, it works:

%sql MERGE WITH SCHEMA EVOLUTION INTO main.yash.test_table USING test_view ON test_table.a = test_view.a WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET c = test_view.c

Instead of mentioning it as test_table.c, I just did c, and it worked.

Re: BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause

Dhruv-22 — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 14:26:45 GMT

Hi @iyashk-DB

Thanks for the response, it will help in resolving the issue.

But, can you mark it as a bug and report it? Because specifying just the column without the table name is a little risky.

topic Re: BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause in Data Engineering

BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause

Re: BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause

Re: BUG: Merge with schema evolution doesn't work in update clause