Informix Error -4135: Only shared class variables can be defined outside class declaration.

Cause and resolution

Only shared class variables can be defined outside class declaration.

A class variable described as SHARED cannot be defined outside the class declaration. The variable definition indicated is completing the definition of a variable already described without a SHARED qualifier in a class declaration.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4135 fires when a variable definition outside a class declaration completes a member variable that wasn't declared SHARED inside the class — per the official guidance, only SHARED class variables can be defined outside the class declaration itself.

A member variable defined outside the class declaration, but not declared SHARED inside it, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Declare the member variable SHARED inside the class, if it genuinely needs an outside-the-class definition, or move its definition inside the class declaration.

Examples

Defining a non-SHARED member outside the class

CLASS Order
  DEFINE total DECIMAL
END CLASS

DEFINE Order::total DECIMAL = 0
-- -4135: total was not declared SHARED

Corrected

CLASS Order
  DEFINE SHARED total DECIMAL
END CLASS

DEFINE Order::total DECIMAL = 0

Diagnostic Checks

Check whether a member variable defined outside its class declaration was declared SHARED inside that class, and add SHARED if needed.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4009 — "Non-shared member "name" cannot be used in default values." A related SHARED member-variable rule, about default value expressions rather than out-of-class definitions.

A member variable is defined outside its class declaration but isn't SHARED — declare it SHARED inside the class.