Informix Error -8062: This report contains a SELECT statement, but a READ statement should be used instead because an ASCII record definition has be specified.

Cause and resolution

This report contains a SELECT statement, but a READ statement should be used instead because an ASCII record definition has be specified.

You can base a report on an ASCII file or on database rows, but not on both. The ASCII statement in the DEFINE section means that file input will be used, and a READ statement is used to read the file. If you want to base the report on database rows, retain the SELECT statement and delete the ASCII statement.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-8062 fires when a report has both a SELECT statement and an ASCII record definition — per the official guidance, a report can be based on an ASCII file or on database rows, but not both.

An ASCII statement present alongside a SELECT statement, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

If the report should be based on database rows, delete the ASCII statement and keep SELECT, per the official guidance.
If the report should be based on the ASCII file, use READ instead of SELECT, per the official guidance.

Examples

An ASCII definition alongside SELECT

DEFINE
  ASCII
    order_id CHAR(10)

SELECT * FROM orders

Corrected (database-based)

SELECT * FROM orders

Diagnostic Checks

Check the DEFINE section for an ASCII statement, and decide whether the report is file-based (READ) or database-based (SELECT) — keep only the matching pair.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-8061 — "This report contains a READ statement but no ASCII record definition has been specified." The complementary condition — READ used without an ASCII definition.

A report has both SELECT and an ASCII definition — a report can be file-based or database-based, not both.