Informix Error -4317

-4317 The program cannot exit a FOR statement at this point because

it is not within a FOR statement.

This CONTINUE or EXIT statement uses the FOR keyword, but it is not located within a FOR loop. Either the statement is in error, or some other error has prevented 4GL from recognizing the FOR statement.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4317 fires when CONTINUE FOR or EXIT FOR appears outside a FOR loop — per the official guidance, either the statement is misplaced, or some other error prevented 4GL from recognizing the enclosing FOR statement.

CONTINUE FOR/EXIT FOR used outside a FOR loop, per the official guidance — the direct cause.
A separate error prevented the enclosing FOR statement from being recognized, per the official guidance — a related possible cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Move the CONTINUE FOR/EXIT FOR statement inside a FOR loop, or
Check for other errors preventing the FOR statement from being recognized, per the official guidance.

Examples

EXIT FOR outside a FOR loop

FUNCTION process()
  EXIT FOR
  -- -4317: not inside a FOR loop
END FUNCTION

Corrected

FOR i = 1 TO 10
  IF condition THEN
    EXIT FOR
  END IF
END FOR

Diagnostic Checks

Check whether the CONTINUE FOR/EXIT FOR statement is inside a FOR loop, and check for other errors affecting the enclosing FOR statement if it should be.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4314 — "The program cannot continue or exit a menu at this point because it is not within a MENU statement." The same pattern applied to MENU instead of FOR.
-4316 — "The program cannot exit a WHILE statement at this point because it is not within a WHILE statement." The same pattern applied to WHILE instead of FOR.

CONTINUE FOR/EXIT FOR is used outside a FOR loop — move it inside, or check for errors affecting the FOR statement's recognition.