Informix Error -9143
Cause and resolution
Character, Text, and Byte data cannot be printed with using formats.
The USING function can only be applied to numeric data. Revise the report specification.
Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance
Reasons / Common Causes
-9143 fires when a USING format is applied to CHARACTER, TEXT, or BYTE data — per the official guidance.
- A USING format applied to non-numeric data, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause; the USING function can only be applied to numeric data.
Solutions / Resolution
- Revise the report specification to remove the USING format from the non-numeric value, per the official guidance.
Examples
USING applied to a character value
PRINT customer_name USING "&&&&&" -- -9143: customer_name is CHARACTER
Corrected
PRINT customer_name
Diagnostic Checks
- Check the data type of every value formatted with USING, and remove USING from any CHARACTER, TEXT, or BYTE value.
Related Errors / Related Topics
- -9003 — "A USING format string may contain only one '.'." A related USING-format validity error, on format-string syntax rather than applicability to the data type.
- -9052 — "The format string is too large. It may not be larger than 79 characters." A related USING-format validity error, on length rather than applicability to the data type.
- -9142 — "Date conversion error." A related data-type-conversion error, for DATE values rather than USING formats.
A USING format was applied to non-numeric (CHARACTER/TEXT/BYTE) data — USING only applies to numeric data.