Informix Error -4828: The field to be read from the file file_name should not be greater than 4096 bytes.

Reasons / Common Causes

-4828 fires when a field read from a file exceeds 4096 bytes — per the official guidance, this is an absolute limit regardless of the destination variable's size.

1. A field in the source file longer than 4096 bytes, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
2. A misplaced file delimiter, per the official guidance — a specific, named contributing scenario that can make an otherwise-normal file appear to have an oversized field.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Check the field in the file, per the official guidance.
2. Check for a misplaced delimiter, per the official guidance, that might be causing 4GL to read further than intended before finding the next delimiter.

Examples

A missing delimiter causing an oversized apparent field

name1,name2
name3name4,name5
-- -4828: the missing comma after "name3" makes this field read as oversized

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the raw file content around the failing field, confirm delimiters are correctly placed, and confirm no single field genuinely exceeds 4096 bytes.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -4827 — "The string in the file file_name is too long to fit in the variable." A related file-read-length restriction, about the destination variable's own size rather than the absolute 4096-byte field limit.

A field read from a file exceeds 4096 bytes — check the field's content and delimiter placement in the source file.