fix(parse): read a :: cast as a cast, not as a column name

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ Notable changes to this project, following [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachang
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- A Postgres `::` cast in the select list is no longer a strict-mode error. `select id::text as id_text from users` reported `unknown column: id::text`, because `:` is not an operator character and nothing stripped the suffix, so the whole token was looked up as a column name - and one cast poisoned the entire row. The operand is still resolved, so a typo in it is still caught; the column itself types `unknown`, since the cast decides the type ([#277](https://github.com/tiagolauer/OwlSQL/issues/277)).
+
 ## [0.2.0] - 2026-07-29
 
 ### Changed

src/parse.ts

@@ -743,6 +743,22 @@ type IsMergeActionPseudoColumn<Expression extends string> = Lowercase<Expression
   ? true
   : false;
 
+// `id::text` is a column carrying a Postgres cast, not a column named
+// `id::text`. Nothing stripped the suffix and `:` is not an operator
+// character, so the whole token was looked up as a name and strict mode
+// reported `unknown column: id::text` on ordinary SQL - one cast poisoning
+// the whole row (issue #277). The operand is still resolved, so a typo in it
+// is still caught; the result is `unknown` because the cast is what decides
+// the type and this parser does not model SQL type names.
+type CastExpressionType<
+  DB extends SchemaLike,
+  Sources extends Source[],
+  Operand extends string,
+  Strict extends boolean,
+> = ResolveColumnType<DB, Sources, Operand, Strict> extends QueryTypeError<infer Message>
+  ? QueryTypeError<Message>
+  : unknown;
+
 export type ResolveColumnType<
   DB extends SchemaLike,
   Sources extends Source[],
@@ -762,7 +778,9 @@ export type ResolveColumnType<
       : [LiteralType<Expression>] extends [never]
         ? IsOperatorExpression<Expression> extends true
           ? unknown
-          : Qualifier<Expression> extends ''
+          : Expression extends `${infer CastOperand}::${string}`
+            ? CastExpressionType<DB, Sources, CastOperand, Strict>
+            : Qualifier<Expression> extends ''
             ? BareColumnType<DB, Sources, Unquote<StripQualifier<Expression>>, Strict>
             : QualifiedColumnType<
                 DB,

tests/cast-columns.test-d.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import type { Query, QueryTypeError, StrictRow } from '../src/index.js';
+
+type Equal<A, B> =
+  (<T>() => T extends A ? 1 : 2) extends (<T>() => T extends B ? 1 : 2) ? true : false;
+
+type Expect<T extends true> = T;
+
+interface DB {
+  users: { id: number; name: string };
+  posts: { id: number; user_id: number; title: string };
+}
+
+// One cast used to poison the whole strict row: `:` is not an operator
+// character and nothing stripped the suffix, so `id::text` was looked up as a
+// column name (issue #277).
+type AliasedCastInStrictMode = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select id::text as id_text from users'>, { id_text: unknown }>
+>;
+
+type BareCastInStrictMode = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select id::text from users'>, { 'id::text': unknown }>
+>;
+
+type QualifiedCastInStrictMode = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select u.id::text as id_text from users u'>, { id_text: unknown }>
+>;
+
+type CastBesideOrdinaryColumns = Expect<
+  Equal<
+    StrictRow<DB, 'select name, id::numeric as amount from users'>,
+    { name: string; amount: unknown }
+  >
+>;
+
+// The operand is still resolved, so a typo inside the cast is still caught.
+type CastOperandIsStillChecked = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select naem::text as x from users'>, QueryTypeError<'unknown column: naem'>>
+>;
+
+type CastOperandAliasIsStillChecked = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select p.id::text as x from users u'>, QueryTypeError<'unknown alias: p'>>
+>;
+
+// Loose mode was already harmless and stays as it was.
+type LooseCastIsUnchanged = Expect<
+  Equal<Query<DB, 'select id::text from users'>, { 'id::text': unknown }[]>
+>;
+
+// Controls: a plain column and a cast written on a placeholder elsewhere.
+type PlainColumnIsUnaffected = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select id from users'>, { id: number }>
+>;
+
+type CastOnAFunctionCall = Expect<
+  Equal<StrictRow<DB, 'select count(*)::int as total from users'>, { total: unknown }>
+>;
+
+export type CastColumnsLock = [
+  AliasedCastInStrictMode,
+  BareCastInStrictMode,
+  QualifiedCastInStrictMode,
+  CastBesideOrdinaryColumns,
+  CastOperandIsStillChecked,
+  CastOperandAliasIsStillChecked,
+  LooseCastIsUnchanged,
+  PlainColumnIsUnaffected,
+  CastOnAFunctionCall,
+];