Informix Error -4388: There is one BEFORE GROUP OF clause and one AFTER GROUP OF clause allowed for each report input parameter.

Cause and resolution

There is one BEFORE GROUP OF clause and one AFTER GROUP OF clause allowed for each report input parameter.

The report is attempting to define a second BEFORE GROUP OF or AFTER GROUP OF block for a single report parameter. Only one such control block is allowed. Find all the blocks for this parameter, and combine their statements into one.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4388 fires when a report defines a second BEFORE GROUP OF or AFTER GROUP OF block for the same report parameter — per the official guidance, only one of each is allowed per parameter.

More than one BEFORE GROUP OF (or AFTER GROUP OF) block for the same report parameter, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Find all the blocks for this parameter, and combine their statements into one, per the official guidance.

Examples

Duplicate AFTER GROUP OF blocks

FORMAT
  AFTER GROUP OF rec.customer
    PRINT "Customer total: ", group_total
  AFTER GROUP OF rec.customer
    PRINT "---"
  -- -4388: only one AFTER GROUP OF is allowed per parameter

Corrected

FORMAT
  AFTER GROUP OF rec.customer
    PRINT "Customer total: ", group_total
    PRINT "---"

Diagnostic Checks

Check every report parameter for more than one BEFORE GROUP OF/AFTER GROUP OF block, and combine them.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4356 — "A page header has already been specified within this report." A related single-control-block restriction, about PAGE HEADER rather than group clauses.

A report has more than one BEFORE GROUP OF/AFTER GROUP OF block for the same parameter — combine them into one.