Informix Error -848: Form4gl could not compile Form.

Reasons / Common Causes

-848 fires when the form4gl form compiler reports one or more errors while compiling a form specification — per the official guidance, the detailed error messages are written to a formname.err file.

1. A syntax or content error in the form specification, per the official guidance — the general cause; the specific detail is in the .err file, not this summary message.

Solutions / Resolution

1. Check the formname.err file, per the official guidance — this is the documented, specific path to the actual error messages:

   cat formname.err
   

2. Correct the errors in the form specification, per the official guidance, based on the .err file's content.
3. Repeat the compile operation, per the official guidance, once corrections are made.

Examples

Reading the error detail file

$ form4gl formname
$ cat formname.err

Diagnostic Checks

1. Read formname.err first — the summary -848 message alone doesn't contain the specific errors.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -834 — "Sformbld could not compile Form." A related form-compiler failure, from a different (older) form compiler (sformbld rather than form4gl).
• -849 — "Warning found in Form specifications." A related, less severe compilation outcome — warnings rather than errors, also written to the same .err file.

Check the formname.err file for the actual error detail — the summary message alone doesn't carry it.