Informix Error -8103: In order for the BEFORE or AFTER GROUP OF clause to function properly, the column specified in the clause must also have been specified as a sort column in the ORDER BY command. If the sort column is subscripted, the column in the BEFORE or AFTER GROUP OF clause must be also.

Reasons / Common Causes

-8103 fires when a BEFORE GROUP OF/AFTER GROUP OF clause's column doesn't match an ORDER BY sort column exactly — per the official guidance, including subscripting: if the sort column is subscripted, the GROUP OF column must be too.

1. The GROUP OF column not also specified as an ORDER BY sort column, per the official guidance — the first named case.
2. A subscripting mismatch between the ORDER BY column and the GROUP OF column, per the official guidance — the second named case.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Make sure the control columns are specified identically in both the ORDER BY statement and the GROUP OF clauses, per the official guidance, including matching subscripts.

Examples

A GROUP OF column not matching ORDER BY

ORDER BY customer_id
...
AFTER GROUP OF order_date
-- -8103: order_date isn't an ORDER BY sort column

Corrected

ORDER BY customer_id
...
AFTER GROUP OF customer_id

Diagnostic Checks

1. Compare every GROUP OF clause's column against the ORDER BY list, including subscripts, and make them match identically.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -8102 — "There may be only one AFTER or BEFORE GROUP OF clause for any single column specified in the ORDER BY command." A related GROUP OF-clause restriction, about duplicated clauses rather than a column/sort mismatch.

A GROUP OF clause's column doesn't match its ORDER BY sort column (including subscripting) — align them exactly.