ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: PG::InternalError expected "]" to end datum - ruby

Question

I'm a newbie to Ruby and using ActiveRecord.
I'm trying to create a record (i.e. a new instance of a class) using ActiveRecord. I've already created and ran the migration, which created this file:
class CreatePeople < ActiveRecord::Migration
def change
create_table :people do |t|
t.string :first_name
t.string :last_name
t.datetime :birthdate
end
end
end
This is my model file with a class called Person in it:
class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
end
I went to the terminal and started the IRB console with the command "rake console." I tried the inputs: person = Person.new and person = Person.create(first_name: "Dave", last_name: "Smith"). Either input just gives me this error message:
ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: PG::InternalError: ERROR: expected "]" to end datum,
but got "0 0 0 0 ]}) :location 2634}}
ETA (full error message):
ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: PG::InternalError: ERROR: expected "]" to end datum,
but got "0 0 0 0 ]}) :location 2634}} :targetList ({TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR
:varno 4 :varattno 1 :vartype 19 :vartypmod -1 :varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0
:varnoold 4 :varoattno 1 :location 2224} :resno 1 :resname schemaname
:ressortgroupref 0:resorigtbl 2615 :resorigcol 1: resjunk false}
{TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR :varno 3 :varattno 1 :vartype 19 :vartypmod -1
:varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0 :varnoold 3: varattno 1 :location 2257} :resno 2
:resname tablename :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtbl 1259 :resorigcol 1
:resjunk false} {TARGETENTRY :expr {FUNCEXPR :funcid 1645 :funcresulttype 19
:funcretset false :funcvariadic false :funcformat 0: funccollid 0
:inputcollid 0 :args ({VAR :varno 3: varattno 5 :vartype 26 :vartypmod -1
:varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0 :varnoold 3 : varoattno 5 :location 2305})
:location 2289} :resno 3 :resname tableowner :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtble
0 :resorigcol 0 :resjunk false} {TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR :varno 6 :varattno 1
:vartype 19 :vartypmod -1 :varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0 :varnoold 6 : varattno
1 :location 2340} :resno 4 :resname tablespace :ressortgroupref 0
:resorigtble 1213 :resorigcol 1 :resjunk false} {TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR
:varno 3 :varttno 13 :vartype 16 :vartypmod -1 :varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0
:varnoold 3 :varoattno 13 :location 2373} :resno 5 :resname hasindexes
:ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtble 1259 :resorigcol 13 :resjunk false}
{TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR :varno 3 :varattno 21 :vartype 16 :vartypmod -1
:varcollid 0 :varlevelsup 0 :varnoold 3 :varoattno 21 :location 2410} :resno
6 :resname hasrules :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtble 1259 :resorigcol 21
:resjunk false} {TARGETENTRY :expr {VAR :varno 3 :varattno 22 :vartype 16
:vartypmod -1 :varcollid 0 :varlevels up 0 :varnoold 3 :varoattno 22
:location 2445} :resno 7 :resnmae hastriggers :ressortgroupref 0 :resorigtbl
1259 :resorigcol 22 :resjunk false}} :withCheckOptions <> :returningList <>
:groupClause <> :havingQual <> :windowCaluse <> :distinctClause <>
:sortClause <> :limitOffset <> :limitCount <> :rowMarks <> :setOperations <>
:constraintDeps <>})”; length = 1
LINE 2: FROM pg_tables
: SELECT TABLENAME
FROM pg_tables
WHERE schemaname = ANY (current_schemas(false))
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/postgresql/database_statements.rb:147:in ‘async_exec’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/postgresql/database_statements.rb:147:in ‘block in query’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/abstract_adapter.rb:473: in ‘block in log’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activesupport-4.2.1/lib
/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in ‘instrument’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/abstract_adapter.rb:467:in ‘log’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/postgresql/database_statements.rb:146:in ‘query’
From C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/postgresql/schema_statements.rb:91:in ‘tables’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/schema_cache.rb:90:in ‘prepare_tables’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/schema_cache.rb:22:in ‘table_exists?’
From C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/model_schema.rb:230:in ‘table_exists?’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/attribute_methods/primary_key.rb:97: in ‘get_primary_key’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/attribute_methods/primary_key.rb:95:in ‘reset_primary_key’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/connection_adapters/postgresql/
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/attribute_methods/primary_key.rb:73:in ‘primary_key’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/model_schema.rb:234:in ‘attributes_builder’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/model_schema.rb:254: in ‘_default_attributes’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/core.rb:273:in ‘initialize’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/inheritance.rb:61:in ‘new’
from C:/Ruby200/lib/ruby/gems/2.0.0/gems/activerecord-4.2.1/lib/active_record
/inheritance.rb:61:in ‘new’

Answer 1

As noted by m_x, there was an issue with the PG setup. There was no issue with ActiveRecord itself. In order to resolve this specific StatementInvalid Error, a full uninstall and reinstall needed to be performed for PostgreSQL.
It seemed like PostgreSQL's data folder got corrupted in some way. Just uninstalling using the Control Panel or the PostgreSQL uninstaller did not uninstall PostgreSQL completely. Specifically, PostgreSQL was not being uninstalled from the registry. This partial uninstall prevented a new data folder for PostgreSQL from being created with the correct bin and lib directories within it. These steps needed to be followed to get PostgreSQL to be uninstalled completely:
Uninstall PostgreSQL from control panel or the PostgreSQL
uninstaller from within the PostgreSQL directory.
Delete PostgreSQL directory folder
Run CCleaner to make sure old PostgreSQL registry keys are deleted. (free download available here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner)
Download and reinstall PostgreSQL