Informix Error -729

Reasons / Common Causes

-729 fires when CREATE TRIGGER is missing its triggered-action list — per the official guidance, a trigger definition without any action to take is incomplete.

1. A CREATE TRIGGER statement with the triggering event and table but no action clause — the direct, only cause.
2. An action clause accidentally omitted during editing, leaving the rest of the trigger definition intact but functionally empty.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Add a triggered action list to the trigger definition, per the official guidance, and resubmit the CREATE TRIGGER statement.

Examples

The disallowed attempt

CREATE TRIGGER trg_orders_update UPDATE OF status ON orders
  REFERENCING NEW AS post FOR EACH ROW;
-- -729: no triggered action follows FOR EACH ROW

Corrected

CREATE TRIGGER trg_orders_update UPDATE OF status ON orders
  REFERENCING NEW AS post FOR EACH ROW
  (EXECUTE PROCEDURE log_status_change(post.status));

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the CREATE TRIGGER statement for a triggered-action clause, confirming it actually specifies what should happen when the trigger fires.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -730 — "Cannot specify REFERENCING if trigger does not have FOR EACH ROW." A related CREATE TRIGGER structural error, about REFERENCING requiring FOR EACH ROW rather than a missing action list.

A trigger definition needs an actual action — add one to the CREATE TRIGGER statement.