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ILE RPG Status Codes and Common IBM i Error Messages

A searchable list of ILE RPG program status codes (00100-09999) and file status codes (01000-01999) with IBM's wording, the way to trap each one in free-format RPG, and the usual fix. It also maps the CPF and MCH messages you see in job logs, such as CPF4131 level check and MCH3601 pointer errors, to the status RPG returns.

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Code	Kind	Meaning	How to trap it	Typical fix
00100	Program status	Value out of range for string operation	on-error 00100	Check start and length before %SUBST or SCAN; use %LEN on varying fields.
00101	Program status	Negative square root	on-error 00101	Guard the operand with an IF before %SQRT.
00102	Program status	Divide by zero	on-error 00102	Test the divisor; return 0 or a flag when it is zero.
00103	Program status	An intermediate result is not large enough to contain the result	on-error 00103	Enlarge the result field, or use EVAL(H) and check field sizes; often a total that outgrew packed(9:2).
00104	Program status	Float underflow: intermediate value too small for the intermediate result field	on-error 00104	Rescale the calculation or use decimal instead of float.
00105	Program status	Invalid characters in character to numeric conversion functions	on-error 00105 around %DEC or %INT	Validate input text; trim blanks; check the decimal separator.
00112	Program status	Invalid Date, Time or Timestamp value	on-error 00112 around %DATE or TEST(DE)	Use TEST(DE) *ISO field or MONITOR before %DATE; legacy zero dates are the usual cause.
00113	Program status	Date overflow or underflow (result beyond HIVAL or below LOVAL)	on-error 00113	Check the duration added to the date.
00114	Program status	Date mapping error from a 4-digit to a 2-digit year outside 1940-2039	on-error 00114	Use ISO or CYMD formats instead of YMD or MDY.
00115	Program status	Variable-length field has a current length that is not valid	on-error 00115	Usually a varying field overlaid by a data structure or bad parameter: check prototypes.
00120	Program status	Table or array out of sequence	on-error 00120	Sort the array or remove ASCEND/DESCEND.
00121	Program status	Array index not valid	on-error 00121	Check the index is between 1 and %ELEM before use.
00122	Program status	OCCUR outside of range	on-error 00122	Check the occurrence number against the DS OCCURS value.
00123	Program status	Reset attempted during initialization step of program	on-error 00123	Move RESET out of *INZSR initialisation.
00202	Program status	Called program or procedure failed; halt indicator (H1 through H9) not on	monitor around CALLP; on-error 00202	Read the called program's job log entry; it failed with its own error first.
00211	Program status	Error calling program or procedure	on-error 00211	Program not found or not authorised: check library list, EXTPGM name and authority.
00222	Program status	Pointer or parameter error	on-error 00222	Caller passed fewer or shorter parameters than the prototype expects; use OPTIONS(*NOPASS) with %PARMS checks.
00231	Program status	Called program or procedure returned with halt indicator on	on-error 00231	Legacy cycle program set H1-H9; review its error path.
00333	Program status	Error on DSPLY operation	on-error 00333	DSPLY in batch needs a message queue reply or a non-interactive design.
00401	Program status	Data area specified on IN/OUT not found	on-error 00401	Create the data area or correct DTAARA name and library list.
00413	Program status	Error on IN/OUT operation	on-error 00413	Check data area type and length against the DS.
00414	Program status	User not authorized to use data area	on-error 00414	Grant *USE (GRTOBJAUT) or adopt authority.
00415	Program status	User not authorized to change data area	on-error 00415	Grant *CHANGE on the data area.
00431	Program status	Data area previously locked by another program	on-error 00431	Find the holder with WRKOBJLCK and add retry logic.
00802	Program status	Commitment control not active	on-error 00802	STRCMTCTL before COMMIT, or compile SQL with COMMIT(*NONE).
00907	Program status	Decimal data error (digit or sign not valid)	on-error 00907	Bad packed or zoned data in a record or parameter; fix the source data and parameter definitions.
00970	Program status	Compiler level does not agree with the RPG IV run-time level	Not normally trapped	Recompile on the target release or install the run-time PTFs.
09999	Program status	Program exception in system routine (worded 'Exception message received by procedure' in newer references)	on-error 09999 or on-error *program	Generic: read the job log for the underlying CPF or MCH message.
01011	File status	Undefined record type (input record does not match record identifying indicator)	on-error 01011 or %ERROR with (E)	Cycle programs: check record identification codes.
01021	File status	Tried to write a record that already exists (duplicate unique key, or duplicate relative record number in a subfile)	write(e) then if %error and %status = 01021	CHAIN first and UPDATE if found, or generate a new key.
01022	File status	Referential constraint error detected on file member	on-error 01022	Parent row missing or child rows exist; check the constraint with WRKPFCST.
01023	File status	Error in trigger program before file operation performed	on-error 01023	Read the trigger program's message in the job log.
01024	File status	Error in trigger program after file operation performed	on-error 01024	The I/O happened; the after trigger failed. Check commitment control and rollback needs.
01211	File status	I/O operation to a closed file	on-error 01211	USROPN file not opened, or closed earlier; test %OPEN(file) first.
01215	File status	OPEN issued to a file already opened	on-error 01215	Wrap OPEN in if not %open(file).
01216	File status	Error on an implicit OPEN/CLOSE operation	INFSR or *PSSR (implicit open happens before calcs)	Any open failure, including level check CPF4131 and file not found: read the job log.
01217	File status	Error on an explicit OPEN/CLOSE operation	open(e) then if %error	Same causes as 01216 for USROPN files; check overrides and library list.
01218	File status	Record already locked	chain(e) then if %status = 01218	Another job holds the record (CPF5027 in job log); retry, read with (N) when not updating, or shorten lock time. WAITRCD on the file sets the wait.
01221	File status	Update operation attempted without a prior read	update(e)	Read or CHAIN without (N) before UPDATE or DELETE.
01222	File status	Record cannot be allocated due to referential constraint error	on-error 01222	Check the related constraint and the rows it protects.
01231	File status	Error on SPECIAL file	on-error 01231	Check the SPECIAL file handler program.
01235	File status	Error in PRTCTL space or skip entries	on-error 01235	Correct the PRTCTL data structure values.
01299	File status	Other I/O error detected	on-error *file	Generic: the job log has the real CPF message.
CPF4131	Message	Level check on file: the record format changed since the program was compiled	Surfaces as file status 01216 or 01217 at open	Recompile programs that use the file (DSPPGMREF to find them). LVLCHK(*NO) hides real layout mismatches and can corrupt data.
CPF5027	Message	Record in use by another job	File status 01218	WRKOBJLCK or QSYS2.RECORD_LOCK_INFO shows the holder.
MCH3601	Message	Pointer not set for location referenced	Program status 00222 in RPG	Missing parameter or unset pointer; check caller parameter count and %ADDR use.
MCH1202	Message	Decimal data error	Program status 00907	Initialise data structures (INZ) and clean bad numeric data in files.
MCH1210	Message	Receiver value too small to hold result	Program status 00103 in RPG	Result field too small for the value: enlarge it or use %SIZE checks.
RNQxxxx	Message	Unhandled RPG error inquiry; xxxx is the status code, e.g. RNQ0102 or RNQ1218	Appears only when nothing traps the error	Add MONITOR, (E) or INFSR/*PSSR so batch jobs do not stop on MSGW.

Program and file status wording follows IBM's ILE RPG Reference pages Program Status Codes and File Status Codes (7.4 and 7.5). Message descriptions are summarised; DSPMSGD RANGE(CPF4131) MSGF(QCPFMSG) shows the exact text on your system.

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How to use it

Search by the code from %STATUS, the RNQ inquiry message or the job log message. The Kind column separates program status codes, file status codes and system messages. The How to trap it column gives the MONITOR group code or the (E) extender pattern; the Typical fix column gives the change that clears the cause in most shops. Any status above 00099 is an error. Program status comes from the program status data structure (PSDS) and %STATUS without a file; file status comes from the file information data structure (INFDS) and %STATUS(file).

on-error accepts several codes separated by colons, e.g. on-error 01218 : 01221
on-error *program catches all program status codes, *file all file codes, *all both
The (E) extender with %ERROR and %STATUS handles one operation without MONITOR

MONITOR and ON-ERROR in free format

Wrap the risky statements in a MONITOR group and list specific codes first, then a catch-all: monitor; chain(e) (custno) custmast; if %error and %status(custmast) = 01218; retry or report; endif; avg = total / count; on-error 00102; avg = 0; on-error *program; dsply ('Error ' + %char(%status)); endmon. The first matching ON-ERROR runs and control continues after ENDMON. A MONITOR does not catch errors in a called program; that program needs its own handling or the caller sees 00202. INFSR and *PSSR subroutines still work and are the only way to catch errors during implicit file open, before calculations start.

Worked example: level check after a file change

A developer adds a column to the customer master and recreates the physical file. The next morning order entry ends with CPF4131 and RPG status 01216 on its implicit open, because the format level identifier stored in the program no longer matches the file. The safe fix is to find every program that uses the file (DSPPGMREF to an outfile, then query it) and recompile them. Changing the file to LVLCHK(*NO) makes the error go away, but programs then read fields at the old offsets and can write the wrong data into the wrong columns. Adding columns through SQL ALTER TABLE has the same effect on level checks.

Debug path

Compile with DBGVIEW(*SOURCE) (or *LIST), then STRDBG PGM(lib/pgm) UPDPROD(*YES) for production-library data, set a breakpoint at the failing statement number from the job log, and call the program. For a batch job use STRSRVJOB on the job, then STRDBG, and release it. In RDi or Code for IBM i the service entry point does the same with a graphical debugger. The job log (DSPJOBLOG, or QSYS2.JOBLOG_INFO from SQL) shows the original message, the statement number and the procedure, which is usually enough to find the line without a debugger.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a level check error in AS400?

CPF4131 level check means the record format of a file changed after the program was compiled, so the format level identifier no longer matches. RPG reports it as file status 01216 or 01217 at open. Recompile every program that uses the file. Avoid LVLCHK(*NO) as a fix: it lets programs read and write at old field positions.

What does pointer or parameter error mean in AS400?

RPG status 00222, often with MCH3601 in the job log, means a program used a parameter or pointer that was not passed or not set. The usual cause is a caller passing fewer or shorter parameters than the called program's prototype expects. Match the prototypes, and for optional parameters use OPTIONS(*NOPASS) and test %PARMS before touching them.

How do I handle errors in RPG without the program stopping?

Use MONITOR with ON-ERROR for blocks of code, the (E) extender with %ERROR and %STATUS for single file operations, and INFSR or *PSSR for errors outside calculations such as implicit opens. Without any of these, an error raises an RNQ inquiry message and a batch job sits in MSGW until someone answers it.

What is file status 01218 in RPG?

01218 means record already locked: another job holds a lock on the record you tried to read for update. The job log shows CPF5027 with the holding job. Read with the (N) extender when you do not intend to update, keep the time between read and update short, and add a retry with %STATUS = 01218 checks.

If your support team spends time decoding RPG errors and job logs, we can set up a private assistant on your IBM i that reads the job log, finds the source line and explains the fix, on your own servers.

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