Informix Error -32404: Invalid delimiter. Do not use '\\', hex digits, tab or space.

Cause and resolution

Invalid delimiter. Do not use '\\', hex digits, tab or space.

The delimiter that is specified for the LOAD or UNLOAD statement is illegal. You cannot use the new-line character, hexadecimal digits (0 to 9, A to F, a to f), the tab character, or a space as a delimiter. Check the statement and change the delimiter symbol.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-32404 fires when a LOAD/UNLOAD statement specifies an illegal delimiter — per the official guidance.

The specified delimiter is the new-line character, a hexadecimal digit (0-9, A-F, a-f), the tab character, or a space, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Change the delimiter to a character outside the disallowed set, per the official guidance.

Examples

An illegal delimiter

UNLOAD TO 'orders.unl' DELIMITER '9' SELECT * FROM orders;
-- -32404: '9' is a hex digit

Corrected

UNLOAD TO 'orders.unl' DELIMITER '|' SELECT * FROM orders;

Diagnostic Checks

Check the delimiter character specified in the LOAD/UNLOAD statement, and replace it if it's a newline, hex digit, tab, or space.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-32405 — "Incorrectly formed hexadecimal value." A related LOAD-statement error, on malformed hexadecimal BYTE data rather than an illegal delimiter.

A LOAD/UNLOAD statement's delimiter was a newline, hex digit, tab, or space, none of which are legal — use a different delimiter character.