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Informix Error -16309: Internal buffer limit exceeded.

Cause and resolution

Internal buffer limit exceeded.

Your command has too many characters. A Debugger command can include no more than 256 characters. If you are specifying an ALIAS, BREAK, or TRACE command that includes many command lines within braces, you might consider using nested aliases. You can cause a function key or a short string to stand for hundreds of keystrokes by specifying it as the alias of a list of aliases, each of which represents fewer than 256 characters. Another alternative is to use READ commands, rather than aliases, to enter multiple commands.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-16309 fires when a Debugger command exceeds the 256-character limit — per the official guidance.

  1. A command with too many characters, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause; particularly likely for ALIAS/BREAK/TRACE commands including many command lines within braces.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Use nested aliases — an alias can stand for a list of other aliases, each under 256 characters, per the official guidance.
  2. Use READ commands instead of aliases to enter multiple commands, per the official guidance.
Examples
N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond an over-long command.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the command's total length, and split it via nested aliases or a READ command if it exceeds 256 characters.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -16307 — "Quoted string is too long." A related length restriction, on a single quoted string (256 characters) rather than the whole command.

A Debugger command exceeds the 256-character limit — split it via nested aliases or a READ command.