generate:db-schema declares the locale enum as enum__locales, but the adapter creates _locales

[EugenieF]

Summary

generate:db-schema declares the locale enum with the SQL name enum__locales, but the adapter creates it in Postgres as _locales. The generated schema therefore references a type that has never existed in any database.

Two hardcoded strings that should match. A PR is attached.

Where

The adapter, which is what actually reaches the database — the SQL type name is _locales, and enum__locales is only the key in the enums map:

https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/v3.85.2/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/init.ts#L22-L27

if (this.payload.config.localization) {
  this.enums.enum__locales = this.pgSchema.enum(
    '_locales',
    this.payload.config.localization.locales.map(({ code }) => code) as [string, ...string[]],
  )
}

The generator, which passes that map key where a SQL type name belongs:

https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/v3.85.2/packages/drizzle/src/utilities/createSchemaGenerator.ts#L96-L98

if (this.payload.config.localization && enumImport) {
  addEnum('enum__locales', this.payload.config.localization.localeCodes)
}

addEnum uses its name argument for both the exported const and the SQL name:

https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/v3.85.2/packages/drizzle/src/utilities/createSchemaGenerator.ts#L86-L94

const addEnum = (name: string, options: string[]) => {
  if (enumsList.some((each) => each === name)) {
    return
  }
  enumsList.push(name)
  enumDeclarations.push(
    `export const ${name} = ${enumFn}('${name}', [${options.map((option) => `'${option}'`).join(', ')}])`,
  )
}

That contract holds for the only other caller, which passes a real SQL type name:

https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/v3.85.2/packages/drizzle/src/postgres/columnToCodeConverter.ts#L19

addEnum(column.enumName, column.options)

So the locale call site is the single place where the two diverge.

Reproducing it

This repo already contains a reproduction — the committed fixture at
https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/v3.85.2/test/relationships/payload-generated-schema.ts#L26

export const enum__locales = pgEnum('enum__locales', ['en', 'de'])

while init.ts creates that type as _locales.

In any localized Postgres project, after payload generate:db-schema:

SELECT DISTINCT udt_name FROM information_schema.columns
WHERE table_schema = 'public' AND column_name = '_locale';
-- _locales

SELECT typname FROM pg_type WHERE typname = 'enum__locales';
-- 0 rows

Impact

Every _locale column in the generated schema is typed against a type that does not exist — around 20 columns in our project. With push: false the generated file is never executed, so nothing surfaces the mismatch; it is documented as the schema mirror, so it is what people read when hand-writing migrations, and DDL written from it references a nonexistent type.

Expected

pgEnum('_locales', …), matching init.ts. The exported const should keep the name enum__locales, since columnToCodeConverter.ts#L17 emits enum__locales(…) as the column builder. Only the first argument to pgEnum is wrong.

Version

Found on 3.85.2. The cited code is byte-identical on main at the time of writing (createSchemaGenerator.ts L86/L97, init.ts L23–L25 — same lines, same content), so this is current.

Related

Two other cases where generate:db-schema output disagrees with what Payload itself creates, both concerning _status, are filed separately in #17738 — they need a design decision, whereas this one does not.