Informix Error -32403: Illegal serial length has been used.

Cause and resolution

Illegal serial length has been used.

This error occurs when the user creates or alters a table and creates or alters a column of type serial but has specified that the starting number is less than or equal to zero (illegal) or has entered in a nonnumeric value. Enter a number equal to or greater than 1 for the starting number.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-32403 fires when creating or altering a SERIAL column with an invalid starting number — per the official guidance.

The starting number is less than or equal to zero, per the official guidance — the first named case.
The starting number entered is nonnumeric, per the official guidance — the second named case.

Solutions / Resolution

Enter a number equal to or greater than 1 for the starting number, per the official guidance.

Examples

An invalid SERIAL starting value

CREATE TABLE orders (order_id SERIAL(0), ...);
-- -32403: 0 is not a legal starting value

Corrected

CREATE TABLE orders (order_id SERIAL(1), ...);

Diagnostic Checks

Check the SERIAL column's starting-number value, and set it to a numeric value of at least 1.

Related Errors / Related Topics

No closely related error codes are cross-referenced for -32403 in this set yet.

A SERIAL column's starting number was zero, negative, or nonnumeric — use a value of 1 or greater.