Informix Error -8057: Only user variables of type CHARACTER may be subscripted or have lists in the LET statement.

Cause and resolution

Only user variables of type CHARACTER may be subscripted or have lists in the LET statement.

You can use a subscript (two numbers in square brackets, used to extract a substring of characters) with names of character variables only. In a LET statement, you can assign multiple strings, separated by commas, to a character variable only. Variables of other types can receive only single values.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-8057 fires when a subscript or comma-separated list is used with a non-CHARACTER variable — per the official guidance.

A subscript applied to a non-CHARACTER variable, per the official guidance — the first named case; subscripting extracts a substring, and only character variables support that.
A comma-separated list of values assigned to a non-CHARACTER variable in a LET statement, per the official guidance — the second named case; other types can only receive single values.

Solutions / Resolution

Only use subscripts or multi-value LET lists on CHARACTER variables, per the official guidance.

Examples

Subscripting a non-CHARACTER variable

DEFINE total INTEGER
LET total[1,3] = "abc"
-- -8057: subscripting only applies to CHARACTER variables

Diagnostic Checks

Check the variable's declared type wherever a subscript or multi-value LET list is used, and confirm it's CHARACTER.

Related Errors / Related Topics

No closely related error codes are cross-referenced for -8057 in this set yet.

A subscript or multi-value LET list was used on a non-CHARACTER variable — only CHARACTER variables support this.