Informix Error -4349

-4349 The PERCENT and COUNT report aggregates cannot be used with an

expression.

These aggregate functions simply count entire rows, without regard for the contents of the rows. COUNT returns a count of the rows, and PERCENT returns the count of rows as a percentage of the entire table. The only permitted parameters of these functions '*' mean "the entire row." They cannot be applied to specific columns or to expressions that involve specific columns.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-4349 fires when PERCENT/COUNT is applied to a specific column or expression — per the official guidance, these aggregates count entire rows regardless of content; COUNT returns the row count and PERCENT returns it as a percentage of the whole table, and the only permitted parameter is * ("the entire row").

PERCENT/COUNT applied to a specific column or expression instead of *, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause.

Solutions / Resolution

Use * as the parameter for COUNT/PERCENT instead of a column or expression.

Examples

COUNT applied to a specific column in a report aggregate

REPORT myreport(rec)
  ...
  AFTER GROUP OF rec.customer_id
    PRINT COUNT(rec.order_id)
    -- -4349: the report aggregate COUNT only accepts *, not a column

Corrected

    PRINT COUNT(*)

Diagnostic Checks

Check every COUNT/PERCENT aggregate's parameter, and confirm it's *, not a specific column or expression.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-4348 — "This type of aggregate must be applied to an expression, not ''. Only PERCENT and COUNT aggregates use ''." The mirror-image error, about aggregates like MIN/SUM needing a real expression rather than *.

COUNT/PERCENT is applied to a specific column/expression instead of * — use * for these aggregates.