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Informix Error -2991

-2991 Warning: Only the first screen of your multiple-screen form

will be displayed under 4GL.

This warning appears when you use the 4GL forms compiler to compile a multipage PERFORM screen. A 4GL program can display only the first page of a multipage form. If the form specification has more than one SCREEN section, it has been purposely divided into multiple pages, and you will have redesign it for 4GL. If it has only a single screen layout, the 4GL forms compiler has split it into two pages because it will not fit on the screen. The form design might not allow for the four screen lines that 4GL reserves.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-2991 is a compiler warning, not a hard error — per the official guidance, it appears when the 4GL forms compiler compiles a multipage PERFORM screen, because a 4GL program can display only the first page of a multipage form.

  1. The form specification genuinely has more than one SCREEN section, per the official guidance — meaning it was purposely divided into multiple pages and will need redesigning for 4GL.
  2. The form has only a single screen layout, but the 4GL forms compiler split it into two pages because it wouldn't fit, per the official guidance — often because the form's design doesn't allow for the four screen lines 4GL reserves.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. If the form was purposely divided into multiple pages, redesign it for 4GL, per the official guidance, since only the first page will display.
  2. If the form has one screen layout but was auto-split, adjust the layout to leave room for the four screen lines 4GL reserves, per the official guidance.
Examples
Checking for multiple SCREEN sections
grep -c '^SCREEN' myform.per
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check whether the form specification has more than one SCREEN section, and if not, check whether its single layout leaves room for the four lines 4GL reserves.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -2987 — "The form specification has exceeded the maximum of limit screens." A related multi-screen form limit, about exceeding the compiler's hard screen-count cap rather than 4GL's single-page display restriction.

Only the first screen of a multi-screen form displays under 4GL — redesign for a single page, or adjust the layout to leave room for 4GL's reserved lines.