Informix Error -841

Reasons / Common Causes

-841 fires when a name for a database, report, form, or other file doesn't follow the required character pattern — per the official guidance, it must start with a letter or underscore, and contain only letters, digits, or underscores thereafter.

1. A name starting with a digit or special character other than underscore, per the official guidance — the direct, common cause.
2. A name containing a disallowed character (spaces, punctuation, symbols) anywhere in it, per the official guidance.
3. A name intentionally starting with an underscore, expecting it to always be allowed — per the official guidance's specific historical note, this was only extended to database, table, and similar object names starting with Version 6.0 (for column, connection, constraint, database, index, procedure, synonym, table, trigger, view, server, and cursor names specifically); on an older platform or for a different kind of name, it may not be permitted.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Repeat the operation with a name that conforms to the rule, per the official guidance — start with a letter (or, on Version 6.0+, an underscore for the specific object types listed), and use only letters, digits, or underscores throughout.

Examples

The disallowed attempt

2025_orders  -- starts with a digit

Corrected

orders_2025  -- starts with a letter

Diagnostic Checks

1. Check the name's first character (letter, or underscore for supported object types on Version 6.0+) and every subsequent character (letters, digits, underscores only).

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -840 — "Name is too long." A related naming-rule restriction, on length rather than character composition.

Start with a letter (or underscore, for supported object types on Version 6.0+) and use only letters, digits, and underscores throughout.