Informix Error -4149: Expressions of this type are not allowed in SQL statements.

Cause and resolution

Expressions of this type are not allowed in SQL statements.

An identifier that is mentioned in an SQL statement is of a type such as FOREIGN, or it names an object (a member of a class) or a record.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4149 fires when an identifier mentioned in an SQL statement has a type SQL doesn't support — per the official guidance, this includes FOREIGN-typed identifiers, or identifiers naming a class object member or a record.

An identifier of type FOREIGN used in an SQL statement, per the official guidance — the first named case.
An identifier naming a class object member or a record used in an SQL statement, per the official guidance — the second named case.

Solutions / Resolution

Use an SQL-compatible scalar type instead of the FOREIGN/object/record identifier.

Examples

Using a record in an SQL statement

INSERT INTO orders VALUES (rec)
-- -4149: rec is a RECORD, not an SQL-compatible scalar identifier

Corrected

INSERT INTO orders VALUES (rec.order_id, rec.order_date)

Diagnostic Checks

Check every identifier used in an SQL statement, and confirm none of them are FOREIGN-typed, class object members, or records.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4148 — "CHAR (*) type is not allowed in SQL statements." A related SQL-type restriction, about CHAR(*) specifically rather than FOREIGN/object/record identifiers.

An identifier of an unsupported type (FOREIGN, object member, or record) is used in an SQL statement — use SQL-compatible scalar values instead.