Informix Error -4659: The CHAR (*) type is not allowed for report parameters.

Reasons / Common Causes

-4659 fires when a report's formal parameter is declared as CHAR(*) — per the official guidance, a formal argument can't accept a character data type of unspecified length.

1. A report parameter declared as CHAR(*), per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Declare the report parameter with an explicit CHAR length instead of CHAR(*).

Examples

A report parameter declared CHAR(*)

REPORT myreport(name CHAR(*))
-- -4659: report parameters can't use CHAR(*)

Corrected

REPORT myreport(name CHAR(30))

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check every report's parameter list for CHAR(*), and give it an explicit length instead.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4496 — "CHAR (*) type is not allowed within records or classes." A related CHAR(*) restriction, about record/class members rather than report parameters.
• -4660 — "Report parameters cannot take object references." A related report-parameter type restriction, about class-typed parameters rather than CHAR(*).

A report parameter is declared as CHAR(*), which isn't allowed — give it an explicit length.