CDbException after updating field type I've just changed a rich text field to a number field and am now unable to bring up either the front-end or the dashboard because of multiple CDbException errors. When trying to access /admin, here's the first line of the error message:

CDbCommand failed to execute the SQL statement: SQLSTATE[42S22]: Column not found: 1054 Unknown column 'content.field_sqFt' in 'field list'

I changed a rich text field named projectDescription to a number field named sqFt. I understand that the new column can't be found.

When updating a field type, I know that there's a chance for data loss. Data loss would be ok for the entries that this change would affect. But I've made other changes since my last backup that I'd like to retain if possible.

I'm running the latest Craft Pro.
Two issues here.

The first error was already a known issue:

General error: 1366 Incorrect integer value


When MySQL's strict mode is enabled, you can get errors like this when swapping an existing field from one type to another where the underlying MySQL datatypes aren't compatible. Swapping from Checkbox to Lightswitch is another time when this could occur.

That one is on our bug tracker, but it's going to be quite an involved fix, so we haven't gotten around to it yet.

The second issue is the one you found. Making the swap from one field type to another and changing the field handle at the same time would not only cause the known error to occur, it would render the rest of the control panel unusable.  That bug has been fixed for the next (post 2.4.2700) release.