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Informix Error -2857

-2857 There can be only one dominant composite column in a join list.

This statement defines a join list, a list of two or more column names that are related to the same form field. In such lists, an asterisk preceding a column name indicates that column is the dominant column in a verify join. Only one such column is allowed in any join, but two or more are present in this list. Review the documentation on verify joins, and choose a single dominant table.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-2857 fires when a join list for a single form field has more than one column marked dominant (prefixed with *) — per the official guidance, only one dominant column is permitted per verify join.

  1. More than one column in the same join list prefixed with *, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Review the documentation on verify joins and select a single dominant table, per the official guidance, removing the * prefix from all but one column.
Examples
Two dominant columns in one join list
ATTRIBUTES
  order_id = *orders.order_id, *customer.cust_id;
-- -2857: two columns are marked dominant with *
Corrected
ATTRIBUTES
  order_id = *orders.order_id, customer.cust_id;
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check every join list for more than one *-prefixed (dominant) column, and remove all but one.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -2858 — "The table table-1 is joined to the table table-2, but its joined columns do not belong to a composite key." A related join-column error, about missing composite-key structure rather than multiple dominant columns.
  • -2973 — "There may be only one dominant column in a display field description." A near-duplicate wording of this same rule, both codes independently published on the live site for what is functionally the same dominant-column constraint.

A join list has more than one dominant (*-prefixed) column — keep only one.