Informix Error -319

-319 Index does not exist.

This statement refers to an index that does not exist. Review the spelling of the index name; if it is as you intended, and you are sure it should exist, make sure you are using the right database.

In an ANSI-compliant database, an index that you do not own must be qualified with its owner's name. See the discussion of error -316 for a way to check the names and owners of all indexes.

-319 Index does not exist in ISAM file.

This statement refers to an index that does not exist. (The reference to an ISAM file is not relevant; ignore it.) Review the spelling of the index name; if it is as you intended, and you are sure it should exist, make sure you are using the right database.

In an ANSI-compliant database, an index that you do not own must be qualified with its owner's name. See the discussion of error -316 for a way to check the names and owners of all indexes.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-319 fires when a statement references an index by name and the server can't find it — it also appears in a second form, "Index does not exist in ISAM file," for the equivalent condition at the storage-engine level. In ANSI-compliant databases there's an extra wrinkle: an index not owned by the current user must be qualified with its owner's name, or it won't resolve even though it genuinely exists.

A misspelled index name in a DROP INDEX, SET INDEXES, or similar statement — the most common cause.
Wrong database connected — the index exists, but in a different database than the one the session is currently attached to.
In an ANSI-compliant database, an unqualified reference to an index owned by a different user — the bare name doesn't resolve without the owner qualifier.
The index was already dropped (by another session, or an earlier step in the same script) before this statement ran.

Solutions / Resolution

Check the spelling of the index name, per the official guidance, as the first and most common fix.
Confirm the correct database is connected if the spelling looks right.
In an ANSI-compliant database, qualify the index name with its owner if it isn't owned by the current user:
```
DROP INDEX owner_name.idx_orders_customer;
```
List existing indexes and their owners (the same technique used for -316) to confirm the index's actual name and owner:
```
SELECT idxname, tabname, owner FROM sysindexes WHERE tabname = 'orders';
```

Examples

Missing owner qualifier in an ANSI-compliant database

DROP INDEX idx_orders_customer;
-- -319: exists, but owned by a different user in this
-- ANSI-compliant database

Fix — qualify with the owner:

DROP INDEX app_owner.idx_orders_customer;

Confirming the index's actual name and owner first

SELECT idxname, tabname, owner FROM sysindexes WHERE tabname = 'orders';

Diagnostic Checks

Query sysindexes for the table in question to confirm the index's exact name and owner.
Confirm the currently connected database matches the one the index was created in.
If in an ANSI-compliant database, check whether an owner qualifier is needed for the reference to resolve.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-316 — "Index index-name already exists in database." The creation-time counterpart of this lookup failure — its addendum's sysindexes query technique applies here too.
-296 — "Referenced table table-name not available." A conceptually similar object-not-found error, at the table level rather than the index level.

Check spelling and the current database first; in an ANSI-compliant database, remember indexes owned by another user need an explicit owner qualifier to resolve.