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Informix Error -79786: Unable to build a Date object based on localized date string representation.

Cause and resolution

Unable to build a Date object based on localized date string representation.

The localized date string representation specified in a CHAR, VARCHAR, or LVARCHAR column is not correct, and a date object cannot be built based on the year, month, and day values.

Verify that the date string representation conforms to the DBDATE or GL_DATE date formats if either one of these is specified in a connection database URL string or property list. If neither DBDATE or GL_DATE is specified but a CLIENT_LOCALE or DB_LOCALE is explicitly set in a connection database URL string or property list, verify that the date string representation conforms to the JDK short default format (DateFormat.SHORT).

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-79786 fires when a localized date string in a CHAR/VARCHAR/LVARCHAR column can't be parsed into a Date object — per the official guidance.

  1. A localized date string not conforming to the DBDATE/GL_DATE format, per the official guidance — the first named case, when either is set in the connection URL or property list.
  2. A localized date string not conforming to the JDK short default format (DateFormat.SHORT), per the official guidance — the second named case, when neither DBDATE/GL_DATE is set but CLIENT_LOCALE/DB_LOCALE is.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Verify the date string matches DBDATE/GL_DATE if either is configured, per the official guidance.
  2. Otherwise verify it matches DateFormat.SHORT if CLIENT_LOCALE/DB_LOCALE is set, per the official guidance.
Examples
N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond a malformed localized date string.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check which of DBDATE/GL_DATE/CLIENT_LOCALE/DB_LOCALE is configured, and verify the date string matches the applicable format.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -79785 — "Unable to convert JDBC escape format date string to localized date string." A related date-conversion error, on a JDBC escape-format string rather than a localized string stored in a character column.

A localized date string in a character column couldn't be parsed — check it against DBDATE/GL_DATE or the JDK short format.