What does HRESULT 0x80028016 (TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL) mean?

 
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DISP_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL TYPE_E_FIELDNOTFOUND

TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL

Type-information buffer is too small

TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL is HRESULT 2147647510 (0x80028016) from winerror.h. AllStat describes it as “Buffer too small.” The value must be interpreted at type-library, record-information, or type-description API writing into caller-supplied storage, because the same high-level symptom can come from a different contract boundary and require different cleanup.

The decisive interpretation for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL is that the capacity passed to the type-information operation is insufficient for the complete metadata value. The operational record for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL needs the native value, symbolic constant, component build, and call phase; the message alone is insufficient.

Where the result appears

  • TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL belongs to type-library and metadata processing around type-library, record-information, or type-description API writing into caller-supplied storage.
  • For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, identify the LIBID, major/minor version, LCID, SYSKIND, file path, resource ID, and the specific ITypeLib or ITypeInfo operation.
  • Metadata consumers should treat TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL as a contract-version or construction problem until file integrity, registry view, import dependencies, TYPEKIND, and builder phase are verified.

For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, separate caller state from runtime and server state first; otherwise cleanup and retry may target the wrong generation of the operation.

Typical causes and interpretation boundary

Common cause categories for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL are: the caller uses a fixed buffer; encoding units are wrong; metadata grew; terminator or alignment is omitted. Each possible cause of TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL predicts different outputs and recovery behavior, which should be verified explicitly.

The check that separates TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL from nearby HRESULTs is: the capacity passed to the type-information operation is insufficient for the complete metadata value. Without proof of the distinguishing condition for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, the safest action is to preserve evidence and refrain from destructive cleanup.

Evidence and telemetry

  • Record TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL with the type-library path and hash, LIBID and version, LCID, architecture, source package, and producer toolchain.
  • For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, capture API name; supplied and required capacity; byte versus character units; type library version; partial output behavior.
  • Retain the exact type, member, field, name, MEMBERID, HREFTYPE, TYPEKIND, or registry path involved in TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL.
  • When TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL is produced during generation, record construction order, imported libraries, layout/finalization state, and output TLB hash.
  • After TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, release TYPEATTR, FUNCDESC, VARDESC, BSTR, and interface resources using the matching API even when parsing or lookup fails.

A useful TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL event contains ownership and shape information, not raw documents, passwords, access tokens, or full Automation values.

Diagnostic sequence

  • Capture TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL (0x80028016) before a compiler, importer, or language runtime reduces it to a generic metadata error.
  • Verify the exact type-library identity, file/resource loaded, registry view, architecture, and operation that returned TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL.
  • Prove the decisive metadata condition for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL: the capacity passed to the type-information operation is insufficient for the complete metadata value.
  • Test the likely causes independently for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL: the caller uses a fixed buffer; encoding units are wrong; metadata grew; terminator or alignment is omitted.
  • For <code>TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL</code>, enumerate the relevant TYPEATTR, members, imports, names, IDs, locales, and builder state instead of assuming source declarations match deployed metadata.
  • Rebuild or reload one corrected metadata generation and verify that TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL disappears without introducing a different identity or compatibility break.

Correct handling and recovery

For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, the appropriate recovery is to query or calculate the required size, allocate with checked arithmetic, and repeat only through the API’s documented two-call pattern. For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, repeat the operation only after the failed condition has changed and the caller can distinguish a duplicate effect.

When TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL is returned, use the documented output contract and reconcile remote or persistent effects before replaying the request.

Practical scenario

A tooling plug-in allocates 256 bytes for a fully qualified type name; it switches to the required-length contract.

An automated test for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL should verify raw HRESULT, output ownership, cleanup behavior, and the absence of an unsafe automatic retry.

Difference from related HRESULTs

DISP_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL concerns Automation invocation output; TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL concerns type metadata.

The comparison matters operationally for TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL: one result may permit fallback while the other requires repair, cancellation, or state reconciliation.

Developer and administrator guidance

Tools handling TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL should pin type-library identity and version, avoid caching raw indices across versions, and preserve stable GUIDs and DISPIDs for published contracts. Repair for <code>TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL</code> should be performed by the metadata producer or installer, not by ad hoc registry edits in the consuming process.

For TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL, administrators should compare installed files and registration against the product manifest, repair the matching package, and keep 32-bit and 64-bit registry views explicit. For <code>TYPE_E_BUFFERTOOSMALL</code>, copying a TLB from another machine can silence lookup while creating a more dangerous ABI mismatch.

References

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