Informix Error -4093: Type mismatch between RECORD and non-RECORD type.

Cause and resolution

Type mismatch between RECORD and non-RECORD type.

The compiler attempted to convert the result of one expression to conform with the type of another expression, and only one of them was a RECORD. Either both must be RECORD type, or neither can be.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4093 fires when the compiler tries to reconcile two expressions' types and only one of them is a RECORD — per the official guidance, either both expressions must be RECORD type, or neither can be.

An expression pairing a record-typed value with a non-record type, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Make both sides of the expression consistently record-typed or non-record-typed.

Examples

Comparing a record to a plain value

DEFINE rec RECORD
  order_id INTEGER
END RECORD

IF rec = 5 THEN
  -- -4093: rec is a RECORD, 5 is not
END IF

Corrected

IF rec.order_id = 5 THEN
  ...
END IF

Diagnostic Checks

Check every expression pairing a record-typed value with another type, and make both sides consistent.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4091 — "Cannot assign to or refer to an array as a whole. Use indexing to refer to individual elements." The same type-reconciliation principle applied to ARRAY values rather than RECORD values.
-4092 — "Type mismatch between CLASS and non-CLASS type." The same type-reconciliation principle applied to CLASS values rather than RECORD values.

An expression pairs a RECORD-typed value with a non-record type — make both sides consistent.