backport to 1.6

sql/catalyst/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/catalyst/analysis/unresolved.scala

@@ -180,23 +180,20 @@ abstract class Star extends LeafExpression with NamedExpression {
 case class UnresolvedStar(target: Option[Seq[String]]) extends Star with Unevaluable {
 
   override def expand(input: LogicalPlan, resolver: Resolver): Seq[NamedExpression] = {
+    // If there is no table specified, use all input attributes.
+    if (target.isEmpty) return input.output
 
-    // First try to expand assuming it is table.*.
-    val expandedAttributes: Seq[Attribute] = target match {
-      // If there is no table specified, use all input attributes.
-      case None => input.output
-      // If there is a table, pick out attributes that are part of this table.
-      case Some(t) => if (t.size == 1) {
-        input.output.filter(_.qualifiers.exists(resolver(_, t.head)))
+    val expandedAttributes =
+      if (target.get.size == 1) {
+        // If there is a table, pick out attributes that are part of this table.
+        input.output.filter(_.qualifiers.exists(resolver(_, target.get.head)))
       } else {
         List()
       }
-    }
     if (expandedAttributes.nonEmpty) return expandedAttributes
 
     // Try to resolve it as a struct expansion. If there is a conflict and both are possible,
     // (i.e. [name].* is both a table and a struct), the struct path can always be qualified.
-    require(target.isDefined)
     val attribute = input.resolve(target.get, resolver)
     if (attribute.isDefined) {
       // This target resolved to an attribute in child. It must be a struct. Expand it.

sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/SQLQuerySuite.scala

@@ -1950,6 +1950,37 @@ class SQLQuerySuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
     }
   }
 
+  test("Star Expansion - table with zero column") {
+    withTempTable("temp_table_no_cols") {
+      val rddNoCols = sparkContext.parallelize(1 to 10).map(_ => Row.empty)
+      val dfNoCols = sqlContext.createDataFrame(rddNoCols, StructType(Seq.empty))
+      dfNoCols.registerTempTable("temp_table_no_cols")
+
+      // ResolvedStar
+      checkAnswer(
+        dfNoCols,
+        dfNoCols.select(dfNoCols.col("*")))
+
+      // UnresolvedStar
+      checkAnswer(
+        dfNoCols,
+        sql("SELECT * FROM temp_table_no_cols"))
+      checkAnswer(
+        dfNoCols,
+        dfNoCols.select($"*"))
+
+      var e = intercept[AnalysisException] {
+        sql("SELECT a.* FROM temp_table_no_cols a")
+      }.getMessage
+      assert(e.contains("cannot resolve 'a.*' give input columns ''"))
+
+      e = intercept[AnalysisException] {
+        dfNoCols.select($"b.*")
+      }.getMessage
+      assert(e.contains("cannot resolve 'b.*' give input columns ''"))
+    }
+  }
+
   test("Common subexpression elimination") {
     // select from a table to prevent constant folding.
     val df = sql("SELECT a, b from testData2 limit 1")