Informix Error -22204: COBOL group USAGE clause contradiction (variable OF record).

Cause and resolution

COBOL group USAGE clause contradiction (variable OF record).

The USAGE clause for a record component does not match the USAGE clause of the record group to which it belongs. Usage clauses for the elements of a record are inherited from the group record declaration. A mismatch causes an error.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-22204 fires when a record component's USAGE clause doesn't match the USAGE clause of the record group it belongs to — per the official guidance, usage clauses for record elements are inherited from the group declaration, and a mismatch is an error.

A record component's USAGE clause conflicting with its group's USAGE clause, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Make the component's USAGE clause consistent with its record group's, per the official guidance's implication.

Examples

N/A

No specific triggering statement is documented beyond a USAGE clause mismatch between a component and its group.

Diagnostic Checks

Compare the flagged component's USAGE clause against its record group's, and correct the mismatch.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-22205 — "COBOL group SIGN clause contradiction (variable OF record)." The same class of group/component clause-inheritance error, for SIGN rather than USAGE.

A record component's USAGE clause contradicted its group's — make them consistent.