Informix Error -658

Reasons / Common Causes

-658 fires when a DEFINE GLOBAL variable declaration has no DEFAULT clause — per the official guidance, unlike local variables (which per -652 can't have a default at all), global variables specifically require one.

1. DEFINE GLOBAL var type with no DEFAULT clause, per the official guidance's own example — the direct, only cause.
2. A local-variable declaration pattern (no default) reused for a global variable, without realizing the requirement runs the opposite direction for globals.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Add a DEFAULT clause to the global variable's declaration, per the official guidance's documented correction:

   DEFINE GLOBAL glob INT DEFAULT 10;
   

   instead of DEFINE GLOBAL glob INT;.
2. Choose a default value appropriate to the global variable's intended initial state, since it will be used until explicitly reassigned elsewhere.

Examples

The disallowed attempt

DEFINE GLOBAL glob INT;
-- -658: global variables require a DEFAULT value

Corrected

DEFINE GLOBAL glob INT DEFAULT 10;

Diagnostic Checks

1. Scan DEFINE GLOBAL statements for a missing DEFAULT clause, and add one appropriate to the variable's intended initial value.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -652 — "Local variables do not allow default values." The opposite requirement, for local variables — they can never have a default, while globals always must.
• -653 — "Variables declared as LIKE cannot be global." Another global-variable declaration restriction, about LIKE rather than DEFAULT.

The opposite rule from -652 — global variables always require a DEFAULT, where local variables never allow one.