Informix Error -9404: User-defined aggregate <aggregate-name> does not exist. </aggregate-name>

Cause and resolution

User-defined aggregate <aggregate-name> does not exist. </aggregate-name>

The named aggregate does not exist in your database. Before you can use a user-defined aggregate, you must create the necessary support functions and register the new aggregate with a CREATE AGGREGATE statement.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-9404 fires when a query references a user-defined aggregate that doesn't exist in the database — per the official guidance.

The aggregate was never registered with a CREATE AGGREGATE statement, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Create the necessary support functions and register the aggregate with CREATE AGGREGATE before using it, per the official guidance.

Examples

Referencing an unregistered aggregate

SELECT new_aggr(colA) FROM some_table;   -- -9404 if new_aggr was never created

Corrected

CREATE FUNCTION ... ;  -- support functions
CREATE AGGREGATE new_aggr WITH (ITER = ..., COMBINE = ...);
SELECT new_aggr(colA) FROM some_table;

Diagnostic Checks

Check the system catalog for the aggregate name, and register it with CREATE AGGREGATE if missing.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-9400 — "User-defined aggregate already exists." The inverse case — registering a name that already exists.

The referenced user-defined aggregate doesn't exist — register it with CREATE AGGREGATE first.