The server aborts a spatial operation because Boost Geometry detected a self-intersection in the supplied geometry.
MySQL error 3042 ER_BOOST_GEOMETRY_SELF_INTERSECTION_POINT_EXCEPTION occurs when a polygon or linestring intersects itself, forcing Boost Geometry to stop processing. Fix it by validating input with ST_IsValid or repairing it with ST_MakeValid before you insert or index the geometry.
ER_BOOST_GEOMETRY_SELF_INTERSECTION_POINT_EXCEPTION
Error 3042 signals that Boost Geometry, the library MySQL relies on for spatial calculations, detected a geometry that crosses itself and therefore halted the operation.
The message appears during INSERT, UPDATE, SELECT, or spatial index creation on GEOMETRY, POLYGON, or LINESTRING columns when the data contains self-intersections.
MySQL returns SQLSTATE HY000 and stops the current statement, leaving the data unchanged.
Self-intersecting polygon rings, bow-tie or figure-eight shapes, and linestrings that double back on themselves trigger the exception.
Malformed Well-Known Text (WKT) or Well-Known Binary (WKB) strings, application bugs that generate invalid vertices, or improper transformation routines commonly introduce the problem.
Creating an R-tree spatial index on invalid shapes will also surface the error because MySQL validates geometry while indexing.
Validate each geometry before writing it: ST_IsValid returns 0 for self-intersecting shapes, allowing conditional correction.
Repair invalid input with ST_MakeValid, which splits self-intersecting polygons into valid multipolygons or adjusts rings automatically.
If ST_MakeValid changes topology undesirably, rewrite or simplify the shape at the application layer to eliminate crossing edges.
Bulk imports of GIS shapefiles often hide a few invalid polygons; run a pre-load validation loop and fix only failing rows.
Dynamic geometry created in an interactive map may cross itself when users draw complex outlines; add client-side snapping or intersection checks to prevent bad data reaching MySQL.
Spatial index creation on legacy tables will fail until every row passes ST_IsValid; script a one-time cleanup followed by an ALTER TABLE ADD SPATIAL INDEX.
Always gate INSERT and UPDATE statements with ST_IsValid in a CHECK constraint or BEFORE trigger starting in MySQL 8.0.16.
Use application-level libraries (e.g., Turf.js, JTS) to validate geometries before sending them to the database.
Automate nightly audits that flag new invalid shapes and alert maintainers through Galaxy collections or dashboards.
Error 3037 ER_BOOST_GEOMETRY_EMPTY_INPUT_EXCEPTION occurs when a geometry has no points; validate size before insert.
Error 3038 ER_BOOST_GEOMETRY_CENTROID_EXCEPTION arises during centroid calculation on invalid shapes; fix geometry first.
Error 3052 ER_BOOST_GEOMETRY_UNKNOWN_EXCEPTION is a catch-all for other Boost Geometry issues; logging the exact input often reveals the root cause.
Rings that cross over themselves or share non-adjacent edges trigger the self-intersection check.
Incorrect coordinate ordering or missing closing points in text or binary representations causes Boost Geometry to misinterpret the shape.
Code that appends vertices without ensuring planar correctness frequently produces figure-eight or bow-tie polygons.
Existing rows may contain silent errors that surface only when a spatial index forces validation.
Raised when geometry input has zero points.
Occurs during centroid calculations on invalid shapes.
Generic Boost Geometry failure for unclassified issues.
No. MySQL aborts the statement, so the row is not stored. You must correct or replace the geometry.
Usually, but it may split a polygon into multiple parts. Review results to ensure they meet business rules.
The code first appeared in MySQL 5.7.5 and continues through 8.x and later.
Galaxy’s AI copilot surfaces invalid geometries in real time, suggests ST_IsValid checks, and lets teams share corrected queries in one place.
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