public static String findExistingColumn(PTable table, List<PColumn> columns) { for (PColumn column : columns) { PName familyName = column.getFamilyName(); if (familyName == null) { try { return table.getPKColumn(column.getName().getString()).getName().getString(); } catch (ColumnNotFoundException e) { continue; } } else { try { return table .getColumnFamily(familyName.getString()) .getColumn(column.getName().getString()) .getName() .getString(); } catch (ColumnFamilyNotFoundException e) { continue; // Shouldn't happen } catch (ColumnNotFoundException e) { continue; } } } return null; }