Search Link API fails on comma (,) input for doctypes without “Translate Link Fields” enabled

Frappe Framework
,
1

When using the Link field search or calling the /api/method/frappe.desk.search.search_link API, the request fails with a PostgreSQL error if the searched DocType does not have “Translate Link Fields” enabled.

The error occurs when the search text is a comma (,) or certain special characters.
Instead of returning an empty result, the API fails with a database-level function error.

Context information (for bug reports)

Output of bench version

frappe 14.99.3

Database: PostgreSQL
Frappe install method: Bench (developer setup)

Steps to reproduce the issue

  1. Open any Link field pointing to a DocType that does not have Translate Link Fields enabled.

  2. Type a comma , in the search box.

  3. Or call the API directly:

    {
  "txt": ",",
  "doctype": "AnyDoctypeWithoutTranslation",
  "ignore_user_permissions": 0,
  "reference_doctype": "AnyReferenceDoctype"
}

Observed result

The request fails with a PostgreSQL error similar to:

psycopg2.errors.UndefinedFunction: function strpos(unknown) does not exist
LINE 1: ... (1 / nullif(strpos(', ...
HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.

This occurs because the system attempts to perform a relevance check using a string literal that PostgreSQL cannot interpret correctly.

Expected result

  • The Link field search should handle commas and other special characters safely.

  • The query should not fail, regardless of whether “Translate Link Fields” is enabled or not.

  • The API should return zero or valid results instead of a database exception.

Stacktrace / full error message

Error in query:
function strpos(unknown) does not exist
LINE 1: ... (1 / nullif(strpos(', ...
HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/app.py", line 98, in application
    response = frappe.api.handle()
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/api.py", line 55, in handle
    return frappe.handler.handle()
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/handler.py", line 85, in execute_cmd
    return frappe.call(method, **frappe.form_dict)
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/__init__.py", line 1627, in call
    return fn(*args, **newargs)
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/desk/search.py", line 37, in search_link
    search_widget(
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/desk/search.py", line 216, in search_widget
    values = frappe.get_list(
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/model/db_query.py", line 255, in build_and_run
    return frappe.db.sql(
  File "apps/frappe/frappe/database/postgres/database.py", line 209, in sql
    return super().sql(modify_query(query), modify_values(values), *args, **kwargs)
psycopg2.errors.UndefinedFunction: function strpos(unknown) does not exist

Additional information

  • The issue affects only PostgreSQL installations.

  • It occurs only in doctypes where “Translate Link Fields” is disabled.

  • When the option is enabled, the search executes successfully even with commas.

  • The issue seems to be related to how relevance-based search expressions are generated for non-translated doctypes.