Informix Error -4496: CHAR (*) type is not allowed within records or classes.

Reasons / Common Causes

-4496 fires when CHAR(*) is used as a record or class member's type — per the official guidance, CHAR(*) is only allowed in function prototypes, as a parameter type, not as an element of a record or class.

1. CHAR(*) used as a record or class member's declared type, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Use an explicit CHAR length instead of CHAR(*) for the record/class member.

Examples

CHAR(*) as a record member

DEFINE rec RECORD
  name CHAR(*)
  -- -4496: CHAR(*) is only valid in function prototypes
END RECORD

Corrected

DEFINE rec RECORD
  name CHAR(30)
END RECORD

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check every record/class member's declared type for CHAR(*), and give it an explicit length instead.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4138 — "Arrays of CHAR(*) are not allowed." A related CHAR(*) restriction, about array element types rather than record/class members.
• -4148 — "CHAR (*) type is not allowed in SQL statements." A related CHAR(*) restriction, about SQL DDL statements rather than record/class members.

CHAR(*) is used as a record/class member's type, which isn't allowed — give it an explicit length.