Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -4429: Report and function parameters cannot be arrays.

Cause and resolution

Report and function parameters cannot be arrays.

You cannot pass a whole array as a parameter of a function. You can pass an individual element of the array by using a subscript. Possibly the array that is causing this error is one component of a record variable that is being passed using asterisk notation. Only 4GL returns this error.

-4429 Parameters cannot be arrays, records with array members, or constants.

You cannot pass a whole array or a constant as a parameter of a function. You can pass an individual element of an array by using a subscript. Possibly the array that is causing this error is one component of a record variable that is being passed using asterisk notation. Only NewEra returns this error.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4429 covers two related variants, per the official guidance:

  1. 4GL: whole arrays can't be passed as function/report parameters — pass an individual element by subscript instead; a common trigger is an array component of a record being passed via asterisk notation.

  2. NewEra: parameters can't be arrays, records with array members, or constants — the same individual-element rule applies, and constants also can't be passed as parameters.

  3. A whole array passed as a function/report parameter, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

  4. A record with an array member passed via asterisk notation, per the official guidance — a specifically named contributing cause.

  5. (NewEra only) A constant passed as a parameter, per the official guidance — an additional named cause.

Solutions / Resolution
  1. Pass an individual array element by subscript instead of the whole array, per the official guidance.
  2. (NewEra) Avoid passing constants as parameters.
Examples
Passing a whole array as a parameter
DEFINE items ARRAY[10] OF INTEGER
CALL processAll(items)
-- -4429: items is a whole array
Corrected
CALL process(items[1])
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check every function/report call's arguments for a whole array (or a record whose asterisk expansion includes an array member, or in NewEra, a constant), and pass individual elements instead.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -4091 — "Cannot assign to or refer to an array as a whole." A related array-usage restriction, about assignment rather than parameter passing.
  • -4164 — "The variable is too complex a type to be used in an assignment statement." A related complex-type restriction covering the same general array/BLOB principle.

A whole array (or a record with an array member, or in NewEra a constant) is passed as a function/report parameter — pass an individual element instead.