Db2 raises SQLCODE -204 / SQLSTATE 42704 when a referenced table, view, alias, index, sequence, or function cannot be found in the current schema search path.
Db2 SQLCODE -204 / SQLSTATE 42704 appears when the database cannot locate the referenced object in the current schema. Verify the object name, qualify it with the correct schema, or create the object to resolve the error.
DB2 SQL Error: SQLCODE=-204, SQLSTATE=42704, SQLERRMC=<object-name>;"OBJECT NOT DEFINED"
SQLCODE -204 with SQLSTATE 42704 means Db2 cannot find the specified object in the catalogs searched. The missing object may be a table, view, alias, index, sequence, or user-defined function.
The error halts statement execution because Db2 must validate object existence before parsing the remainder of the SQL.
Fixing the reference is mandatory for successful query compilation.
The message commonly appears during CREATE, ALTER, DROP, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or CALL statements that reference an object outside the current schema path.
It can also surface inside stored procedures, triggers, and dynamic SQL when the executing user’s default schema differs from the object owner.
Unresolved object references block automation, ETL jobs, and application code.
Failing to correct the schema mismatch may cascade into downstream failures and service downtime.
Primary cause is an incorrect or unqualified object name.
Additional causes include missing GRANT privileges that hide objects, dropped objects not yet recreated, and misspelled aliases.
Changes in the CURRENT SCHEMA or SET PATH settings also lead to -204 when code assumes a different default schema.
First, confirm the correct object name by querying the system catalog (e.g., SYSCAT.TABLES).
Then fully qualify the object with schema.object or add the schema to SET CURRENT SCHEMA or CURRENT PATH.
If the object truly does not exist, recreate it or request the necessary privileges. Recompile any dependent packages after the object is restored.
Batch job fails: hard-code schema qualifier. Trigger compilation fails: create referenced table before the trigger.
Dynamic SQL from app: SET CURRENT SCHEMA after connection.
CI/CD deployment: include DDL migration step to create new objects before executing DML scripts.
Always use schema-qualified names in production code. Maintain consistent naming conventions.
Automate database migrations to ensure objects exist before code runs.
Leverage Galaxy’s AI copilot to autocomplete fully qualified object names and flag undefined references during query authoring, preventing -204 in the first place.
SQLCODE -206 (column undefined) signals unknown column, whereas -551 (authorization failure) indicates missing privilege. Both differ from -204, which targets objects, not columns or rights.
SQLCODE -440 (routine not found) is similar but specific to functions and procedures; use the same schema-qualification strategy.
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A typo in the table, view, or sequence name causes Db2 to search for a non-existent catalog entry, triggering -204.
Connecting with a user ID whose CURRENT SCHEMA differs from the object owner makes Db2 look in the wrong schema.
Deployment scripts that reference objects before creation or after deletion produce the error.
If the executing user lacks SELECT or EXECUTE privilege, Db2 may hide the object from catalog views, effectively making it “invisible.”
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No. The code covers tables, views, aliases, indexes, sequences, and routines. Check all object types.
No. Object validation is mandatory. Fix by qualifying names or creating the object.
Yes. CURRENT PATH defines the routine search order. Incorrect paths lead to undefined routine errors.
Galaxy’s AI copilot autocompletes schema-qualified names and warns when objects are missing, reducing runtime surprises.
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