Informix Error -4664

Reasons / Common Causes

-4664 bundles two distinct messages on the official page. The first: compiling a REPORT or the MAIN program block with the -useccl switch requires including ixstmt.4gh, per the official guidance. The second: a statement nests function calls within the parameter lists of other function calls to a level exceeding four, per the official guidance — a maximum nesting level of four is supported.

1. Compiling with -useccl without INCLUDE SYSTEM "ixstmt.4gh", per the official guidance — the first named cause.
2. Function calls nested more than four levels deep within parameter lists, per the official guidance — the second named cause, illustrated by Afun(2-Bfun(3+Cfun(4*Dfun(5)))) as the maximum supported depth.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Add INCLUDE SYSTEM "ixstmt.4gh" to the module, per the official guidance, when compiling a REPORT or MAIN block with -useccl.
2. Rewrite the expression to store the result of the innermost function calls in a variable, and use the variable in the expression, per the official guidance, if the nesting-depth limit is exceeded.

Examples

Exceeding the four-level nesting limit

LET x = Afun(2 - Bfun(3 + Cfun(4 * Dfun(5 + Efun(6)))))
-- -4664: five levels of nested function calls, one over the limit

Corrected

LET inner = Efun(6)
LET x = Afun(2 - Bfun(3 + Cfun(4 * Dfun(5 + inner))))

Diagnostic Checks

1. If compiling with -useccl, check for INCLUDE SYSTEM "ixstmt.4gh" in the module.
2. If not, count the nesting depth of function calls within parameter lists, and flatten any expression exceeding four levels using a temporary variable.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4663 — "ODBC error from engine - "text"." A related -useccl-specific compiler error, about an ODBC-level failure rather than a missing include or nesting-depth limit.

Either -useccl compilation is missing INCLUDE SYSTEM "ixstmt.4gh", or an expression nests function calls more than four levels deep — add the include, or flatten the expression using a temporary variable.