Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -4612

Cause and resolution

Data validation table does not currently exist for this database.

The program uses a statement such as VALIDATE or INITIALIZE that requires input from the syscolval table; however that table does not exist in the current database. Possibly it has not been created (using the Column Attributes Dictionary utility in Windows or the upscol utility in DOS and UNIX); possibly it was inadvertently dropped from the database; or possibly the database now being used is not the one you expected, owing to a change in the value of the DBPATH environment variable.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4612 fires when a program uses a statement such as VALIDATE or INITIALIZE that requires input from the syscolval table, but that table doesn't exist in the current database — per the official guidance.

  1. syscolval was never created in the database — per the official guidance, it's created via the Column Attributes Dictionary utility (Windows) or the upscol utility (DOS/UNIX).
  2. syscolval was inadvertently dropped, per the official guidance.
  3. The wrong database is in use, per the official guidance — owing to a change in the DBPATH environment variable.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Create syscolval using the Column Attributes Dictionary utility (Windows) or upscol (DOS/UNIX), per the official guidance, if it was never created.
  2. Restore syscolval if it was inadvertently dropped.
  3. Check DBPATH to confirm the intended database is actually in use, per the official guidance.
Examples
Recreating syscolval (DOS/UNIX)
$ upscol
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check whether syscolval exists in the current database, confirm DBPATH points to the intended database, and recreate the table with upscol (or the Column Attributes Dictionary utility on Windows) if it's genuinely missing.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -4613 — "Screen display attribute table does not currently exist for this database." An identical failure mode, for the syscolatt table rather than syscolval.

The syscolval data-validation table doesn't exist in the current database — create it via upscol/the Column Attributes Dictionary utility, or check DBPATH if the wrong database is in use.