Informix Error -4504

Reasons / Common Causes

-4504 covers two variants, per the official guidance. On NewEra, this code stays active with its own meaning: the type of a VALIDATE variable cannot be converted to the type of the validation values. On products other than NewEra, this code is a legacy wording that has been replaced by error -1321.

1. On NewEra: a VALIDATE variable's type is incompatible with the validation values' type, per the official guidance — the direct, active cause on that product.
2. On other products: this exact wording is superseded, per the official guidance — -1321 now covers the same underlying condition there.

Solutions / Resolution

1. On NewEra, make the VALIDATE variable's type compatible with the type of the validation values, per the official guidance.
2. On other products, treat this as -1321 and apply that code's resolution steps.

Examples

A type-incompatible VALIDATE variable (NewEra)

DEFINE status CHAR(1)
VALIDATE status EQUALS "A", "I"
-- -4504: if the validation values' underlying type can't convert to CHAR(1)

Diagnostic Checks

1. On NewEra, check the VALIDATE variable's declared type against the validation values', and make them compatible.
2. On other products, confirm whether -1321 is the code actually reported, and refer to that code's diagnostics.

Related Errors / Related Topics

• -1321 — "A validation error has occurred as a result of the VALIDATE command." The current, active code that has replaced -4504 for products other than NewEra.

A VALIDATE variable's type is incompatible with its validation values (NewEra), or this legacy wording has been replaced by -1321 on other products.