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Informix Error -22205: COBOL group SIGN clause contradiction (variable OF record).

Cause and resolution

COBOL group SIGN clause contradiction (variable OF record).

The SIGN clause of the record component does not match the SIGN clause of the record group to which it belongs. Sign 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

-22205 fires when a record component's SIGN clause doesn't match the SIGN clause of the record group it belongs to — per the official guidance, sign clauses for record elements are inherited from the group declaration, and a mismatch is an error.

  1. A record component's SIGN clause conflicting with its group's SIGN clause, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Make the component's SIGN clause consistent with its record group's, per the official guidance's implication.
Examples
N/A

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

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Compare the flagged component's SIGN clause against its record group's, and correct the mismatch.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -22204 — "COBOL group USAGE clause contradiction (variable OF record)." The same class of group/component clause-inheritance error, for USAGE rather than SIGN.

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