Informix Error -2832: This form uses "|" to both start and end a field placement. Because of this, the form must specify left and right delimiters which are the same character. This is done with the DELIMITERS command in the INSTRUCTIONS section.

Reasons / Common Causes

-2832 fires when a form uses the pipe character | as both the opening and closing field delimiter — per the official guidance, because the same character is used for both ends, the form must explicitly specify left and right delimiters that are the same character, via a DELIMITERS statement in the INSTRUCTIONS section.

1. No DELIMITERS statement declaring the same character for both left and right delimiters, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause; without an explicit declaration, the compiler doesn't infer that | is meant for both ends.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Include a DELIMITERS statement in the INSTRUCTIONS section, per the official guidance, specifying the same character for both the left and right delimiters (i.e. | repeated twice).

Examples

Adding a DELIMITERS statement

INSTRUCTIONS
  DELIMITERS "||";

This declares | as both the left and right delimiter, matching how the form already uses it to both start and end a field placement.

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the INSTRUCTIONS section for a DELIMITERS statement, and add one declaring the same character for both ends if missing.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -2951 — "The left and right delimiters must be specified in a two character string." A closely related DELIMITERS-syntax rule, about the string's required length rather than which characters it should contain.

The form uses | for both field delimiters but has no DELIMITERS statement declaring that — add one specifying the same character for both left and right.