fix: normalize NULL date options when constructing BaserowFormulaDateType (baserow#5364)

`FormulaField` allows every date option (`date_format`, `date_include_time`, `date_time_format`, `date_show_tzinfo`) to be NULL because a single row can morph between formula types. For a date-typed formula, however, only `date_force_timezone` is semantically nullable — see `BaserowFormulaDateType.nullable_option_fields`.

When that invariant is violated by an existing row (NULL for a supposedly required option), `construct_type_from_formula_field` built a `BaserowFormulaDateType` carrying those NULLs. The first downstream consumer to access them — `DateFieldType.get_search_expression` building a search expression for `update_search_data` — crashed in `get_date_time_format` with `KeyError: None` (723 occurrences observed in production).

Normalize at the type-construction boundary: when a non-nullable option is NULL on the row, substitute the type's documented default (ISO / False / "24" / False). Downstream code keeps its non-defensive shape, and the same fix protects every other consumer (`get_export_value`, `contains_query`, `get_alter_column_*`).

Fixes baserow#5363

Author: silvestrid

backend/src/baserow/contrib/database/formula/types/formula_types.py

@@ -875,6 +875,14 @@ class BaserowFormulaDateType(
         "date_force_timezone",
     ]
     nullable_option_fields = ["date_force_timezone"]
+    # Only `date_force_timezone` is semantically nullable; others have defaults
+    # applied by `construct_type_from_formula_field` for legacy/corrupt rows.
+    non_nullable_option_defaults = {
+        "date_format": "ISO",
+        "date_include_time": False,
+        "date_time_format": "24",
+        "date_show_tzinfo": False,
+    }
     can_represent_date = True
     can_order_by_in_array = True
     can_group_by = True
@@ -897,6 +905,16 @@ def __init__(
         self.date_show_tzinfo = date_show_tzinfo
         self.date_force_timezone = date_force_timezone
 
+    @classmethod
+    def construct_type_from_formula_field(cls, formula_field):
+        kwargs = {}
+        for field_name in cls.all_fields():
+            value = getattr(formula_field, field_name)
+            if value is None and field_name in cls.non_nullable_option_defaults:
+                value = cls.non_nullable_option_defaults[field_name]
+            kwargs[field_name] = value
+        return cls(**kwargs)
+
     @property
     def array_index_sql(self) -> str:
         cast = "::timestamptz" if self.date_include_time else "::date"

backend/tests/baserow/contrib/database/field/test_date_field_type.py

@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@
 
 from baserow.contrib.database.fields.field_types import DateFieldType
 from baserow.contrib.database.fields.handler import FieldHandler
-from baserow.contrib.database.fields.models import DateField, TextField
+from baserow.contrib.database.fields.models import DateField, FormulaField, TextField
 from baserow.contrib.database.fields.registries import field_type_registry
 from baserow.contrib.database.fields.utils import DeferredForeignKeyUpdater
+from baserow.contrib.database.formula.types.formula_types import (
+    BaserowFormulaDateType,
+)
 from baserow.contrib.database.rows.handler import RowHandler
 from baserow.contrib.database.views.handler import ViewHandler
 from baserow.core.psycopg import is_psycopg3
@@ -840,3 +843,54 @@ def test_datetime_field_overflow(on_db_connection, data_fixture):
     assert len(out) == 1
 
     assert getattr(out[0], date_field.db_column, None) is None
+
+
+def test_baserow_formula_date_type_normalizes_null_non_nullable_options():
+    # `FormulaField` allows every date option to be NULL. When existing rows
+    # violate invariants, `construct_type_from_formula_field` normalizes NULLs
+    # to prevent downstream crashes.
+    corrupt = FormulaField(
+        formula="TODAY()",
+        formula_type="date",
+        date_format=None,
+        date_include_time=None,
+        date_time_format=None,
+        date_show_tzinfo=None,
+        date_force_timezone=None,
+        version=0,
+        requires_refresh_after_insert=False,
+        nullable=True,
+    )
+
+    formula_type = BaserowFormulaDateType.construct_type_from_formula_field(corrupt)
+
+    assert formula_type.date_format == "ISO"
+    assert formula_type.date_include_time is False
+    assert formula_type.date_time_format == "24"
+    assert formula_type.date_show_tzinfo is False
+    assert formula_type.date_force_timezone is None
+
+
+def test_baserow_formula_date_type_preserves_user_set_options():
+    formula_field = FormulaField(
+        formula="TODAY()",
+        formula_type="date",
+        date_format="EU",
+        date_include_time=True,
+        date_time_format="12",
+        date_show_tzinfo=True,
+        date_force_timezone="Europe/Amsterdam",
+        version=0,
+        requires_refresh_after_insert=False,
+        nullable=True,
+    )
+
+    formula_type = BaserowFormulaDateType.construct_type_from_formula_field(
+        formula_field
+    )
+
+    assert formula_type.date_format == "EU"
+    assert formula_type.date_include_time is True
+    assert formula_type.date_time_format == "12"
+    assert formula_type.date_show_tzinfo is True
+    assert formula_type.date_force_timezone == "Europe/Amsterdam"

changelog/entries/unreleased/bug/fixes_search_index_updates_failing_for_tables_with_dateonly_.json

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    "type": "bug",
+    "message": "Fixes search index updates failing for tables with date-only formula fields",
+    "issue_origin": "github",
+    "issue_number": 5363,
+    "domain": "database",
+    "bullet_points": [],
+    "created_at": "2026-05-13"
+}