Informix Error -352

Reasons / Common Causes

-352 fires when CREATE INDEX references a column name that doesn't exist on the target table.

1. A misspelled column name in the CREATE INDEX column list — the most common cause.
2. A column that was renamed or dropped since the index-creation script was originally written.
3. Wrong table targeted — the column exists, but on a different table than the one named in CREATE INDEX.
4. Case or naming-convention mismatches carried over from application code that don't match the actual database column name.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Verify the spelling of every column referenced, per the official guidance, against the table's actual structure.
2. List the table's actual columns via syscolumns (the same technique used for -328):

   SELECT colname FROM syscolumns
   WHERE tabid = (SELECT tabid FROM systables WHERE tabname = 'orders');
   

3. Check for a recent column rename or drop if a previously-working CREATE INDEX script started failing.

Examples

A misspelled column name

CREATE INDEX idx_orders_custid ON orders(custmer_id);
-- -352: custmer_id doesn't exist (typo for customer_id)

Fix:

CREATE INDEX idx_orders_custid ON orders(customer_id);

Listing actual columns to confirm the correct name

SELECT colname FROM syscolumns
WHERE tabid = (SELECT tabid FROM systables WHERE tabname = 'orders');

Diagnostic Checks

1. Query syscolumns for the target table to confirm the exact column names available.
2. Confirm the correct table is being targeted if the column name looks right but still isn't found.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -328 — "Column column-name already exists in table." The mirror-image error — this one fires when a column is expected to be new but already exists; -352 fires when a column is expected to exist but isn't found.

Query syscolumns for the table's actual column list before assuming a typo — it's the fastest way to confirm the exact spelling and whether the right table is even being targeted.