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Informix Error -4327

-4327 The variable variable-name is not of type INTEGER or SMALLINT. It

cannot be used as a loop index.

The index variable in a FOR loop must be an integer type. Specify a different variable, or redefine the one named.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4327 fires when a FOR loop's index variable isn't INTEGER or SMALLINT — per the official guidance, the index variable in a FOR loop must be an integer type.

  1. A FOR loop's index variable declared as a non-integer type, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Specify a different variable, or redefine the one named, per the official guidance, as INTEGER or SMALLINT.
Examples
A DECIMAL loop index
DEFINE ix DECIMAL(5,0)
FOR ix = 1 TO 10
  ...
END FOR
-- -4327: ix must be INTEGER or SMALLINT
Corrected
DEFINE ix INTEGER
FOR ix = 1 TO 10
  ...
END FOR
Diagnostic Checks
  1. Check the declared type of every FOR loop's index variable, and confirm it's INTEGER or SMALLINT.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -4331 — "Only variables of type INTEGER or SMALLINT may be used to index display fields." A related integer-type requirement, about screen-array subscripts rather than FOR loop indices.

A FOR loop's index variable isn't INTEGER/SMALLINT — redeclare it as one of those types.