Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -1144

-1144 Cannot open window. Window origin is not on the screen.

The row and column position in the AT clause of this OPEN WINDOW statement points off the physical screen. The statement is not executed. Review the program, and check that the numbers are in the correct order (first row, then column). The dimensions of the terminal are determined when the program starts by reading termcap information (or terminfo information, depending on the value of the INFORMIXTERM environment variable), so a window origin that is correct for some users might not be correct for all.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-1144 fires when the row/column position in OPEN WINDOW's AT clause points off the physical screen — per the official guidance, this is a straightforward off-screen origin, distinct from -1136's window-too-large or -1138's border-fit problems.

  1. An AT clause row/column value beyond the terminal's actual dimensions, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
  2. Row and column arguments given in the wrong order, per the official guidance's specific check — AT takes row first, then column.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Verify position parameters are in the correct order (row first, then column), per the official guidance.
  2. Confirm window coordinates fit within the terminal's actual dimensions, per the official guidance — determined at program startup from termcap/terminfo (UNIX) or the DOS 24x80 default.
Examples
An origin off the physical screen
OPEN WINDOW w1 AT 99, 99 WITH FORM "order_entry"
-- -1144: row 99 is off a 24-line terminal
Corrected
OPEN WINDOW w1 AT 1, 1 WITH FORM "order_entry"
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the AT clause's row/column order and values against the terminal's actual dimensions.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -1135 — "The row or column number in DISPLAY AT exceeds the limits of your terminal." A related terminal-boundary error, about DISPLAY ... AT rather than OPEN WINDOW ... AT.
  • -1136 — "Window is too large to fit on the screen." A related window error, about overall size rather than the origin point specifically.
  • -1138 — "Border does not fit on screen. Window is too large." A related window-boundary error, specific to bordered windows' minimum-margin requirement.

The window's AT origin is off the physical screen — check row-then-column order and the terminal's actual dimensions.