Informix Error -4014: You cannot specify the RETURNING type for intrinsic member functions.

Reasons / Common Causes

-4014 fires when an intrinsic member function's declaration includes a RETURNING clause — per the official guidance, the compiler itself defines the returned value from an intrinsic member function, so this isn't supported.

1. A RETURNING clause on an intrinsic member function declaration, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Omit the RETURNING clause, per the official guidance.

Examples

A RETURNING clause on !copy()

CLASS Order
  FUNCTION !copy() RETURNING Order
    -- -4014: intrinsic functions define their own return type
  END FUNCTION
END CLASS

Corrected

CLASS Order
  FUNCTION !copy()
    ...
  END FUNCTION
END CLASS

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check every intrinsic member function declaration (!copy(), !derive(), the constructor) for a RETURNING clause, and remove it.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4013 — "Invalid intrinsic member function "!name"." A related intrinsic member-function rule, about invalid function names rather than an invalid RETURNING clause.

An intrinsic member function's declaration includes a RETURNING clause — remove it; the compiler defines the return type itself.