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Informix Error -478

-478 User must specify TYPE.

In the initial state, when you execute a SET DESCRIPTOR statement, you must specify TYPE as one of the fields to be set. Set the TYPE field in the SET DESCRIPTOR statement, and execute it again.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-478 fires when SET DESCRIPTOR is executed on a descriptor item in its initial (unset) state without specifying TYPE as one of the fields being set — TYPE has to be established first, before other fields like LENGTH (see -476) can be meaningfully layered on top of it.

  1. A SET DESCRIPTOR statement setting other fields (e.g. LENGTH, DATA) without also setting TYPE, on an item that has no type established yet.
  2. Statements issued out of order — attempting to refine an item's other attributes before its fundamental type has been declared.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Set the TYPE field in the SET DESCRIPTOR statement, per the official guidance, and execute it again.
  2. Establish TYPE first for a given descriptor item, before or alongside any other fields being set on it, rather than assuming a default type applies.
Examples
Setting TYPE alongside other fields
SET DESCRIPTOR 'desc1' VALUE 1 TYPE = SQLCHAR, LENGTH = 50;
The disallowed omission
SET DESCRIPTOR 'desc1' VALUE 1 LENGTH = 50;
-- -478: TYPE must be specified, especially on an item in its
-- initial state
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check whether TYPE is included in the failing SET DESCRIPTOR statement.
  2. Confirm whether the descriptor item is in its initial state, requiring TYPE to be established before other fields.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -476 — "The LENGTH field must be specified when the type is SQLCHAR." A related SET DESCRIPTOR field-pairing rule — once TYPE is set to SQLCHAR, LENGTH also becomes required.
  • -474 — "Unknown field type." Another related X/Open descriptor-field restriction, about valid field type keywords generally.

TYPE has to be established on a descriptor item before other fields can be meaningfully set — always include it, especially the first time a given item is configured.