Informix Error -4831: The variable var_name is not of type INTEGER or SMALLINT. It cannot be used to store offset bytes returned from the seek operation.

Reasons / Common Causes

-4831 fires when a variable used to receive a Seek operation's returned offset isn't declared INTEGER or SMALLINT — per the official guidance.

1. A non-integer-type variable used to hold a seek offset, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Specify a different variable, or redefine the one named, per the official guidance, as INTEGER or SMALLINT.

Examples

A non-integer offset variable

DEFINE pos CHAR(10)
CALL f.seek(fd, 0, pos)
-- -4831: pos must be INTEGER or SMALLINT

Corrected

DEFINE pos INTEGER
CALL f.seek(fd, 0, pos)

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the declared type of every variable receiving a seek offset, and change it to INTEGER or SMALLINT if it isn't already.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4830 — "The variable var_name is not of type INTEGER or SMALLINT. It cannot be used as a file descriptor." The same underlying type restriction, for a file-descriptor variable rather than a seek-offset destination.
• -4825 — "Seek on file file_name cannot be done." A related seek error, about the seek operation itself failing rather than the offset destination's type.

A variable used to store a seek offset isn't INTEGER/SMALLINT — redefine it as one.