Error message in Informix - sql

Question

This is the code issued and the error message:.
dbuser#test:/var/lib/dbspace/bosarc/Active_Sites/Port_Hope> dbaccess labor32<<?
> INSERT INTO SCH_DAILY (ssn,time_start,week_day,time_end,dept_key,pos_id,sched_time,break_minutes,comments,start_time,end_time,report_date,week_start_date) values (000287752,2016-02-04 16:00:00,5,2016-02-04 12:00:00,D000000007,CASHIE,8.0,0,0,16:00 a,12:00 p,2016-02-04 00:00:00,2016-01-29 00:00:00,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL);
> ?
Database selected.
201: A syntax error has occurred.
Error in line 1
Near character position 178
Database closed.
dbuser#test:/var/lib/dbspace/bosarc/Active_Sites/Port_Hope>
I even tried downloading the file directly from the database and match it to the info I am trying to load.
Database file
555005875|2016-01-21 16:00:00|5|2016-01-21 22:00:00|D000000007|CASHIE|6.0|0||04:00 p |10:00 p|2016-01-21 00:00:00|2016-01-15 00:00:00||||
What I'm trying to insert:
000287752,2016-02-04 16:00:00,5,2016-02-04 12:00:00,D000000007,CASHIE,8.0,0,0,16:00 a,12:00 p,2016-02-04 00:00:00,2016-01-29 00:00:00,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL

Answer 1

The DATETIME values such as 2016-02-04 16:00:00 must be enclosed in quotes (either '2016-02-04 16:00:00' or "2016-02-04 16:00:00"), or dressed up more ornately — verbosely — as a DATETIME literal: DATETIME(2016-02-04 16:00:00) YEAR TO SECOND. On the whole, the quotes are simpler. This is not necessary when the data is in a load-format file and loaded via the LOAD command of DB-Access, or one of the loader utilities.
The AM/PM time values such as 16:00 a and 12:00 p are more problematic still — unless they're inserted into a character column. Informix supports DATETIME HOUR TO MINUTE which would accept values 00:00 .. 23:59 as valid times within a day.
16:00 a is not normally how you write 4:00 p; you either use a value in the range 01:00 .. 12:59 with the suffix (remembering that all of the times 12:00 a .. 12:59 a occur before 01:00 a), or you use 24-hour clock 00:00 .. 23:59. On the whole, the latter is more sensible. If they're going to be handled with the AM/PM suffixes, then you have to wrap the value up as a string in an appropriate TO_DATE function call that converts the value to DATETIME HOUR TO MINUTE. But the appropriate function is going to reject 16:00 a as invalid.

Answer 2

First, has #gordon-linoff said, you have to enclose the strings and datetime/literals with quotes.
Then, probably you will get the next error:
236: Number of columns in INSERT does not match number of VALUES.
This is because you put 13 attributes on the INSERT and pass 17 VALUES, the NULLS should be the issue.
Then, probably, you can get:
1263: A field in a datetime or interval values is incorrect or an illegal operation specified on datetime field.
If you get this try passing the values of date/time with the TO_DATE function:
TO_DATE('216-02-02 12:16:24','%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
TO_DATE('23:24','%H:%M') -- 24H format
TO_DATE('11:24 PM','%I:%M %p') -- 12H format AM/PM
Although I believe that the start_time and the end_ time aren’t a date type.
In your case try the next INSERT:
INSERT INTO SCH_DAILY(
ssn,
time_start,
week_day,
time_end,
dept_key,
pos_id,
sched_time,
break_minutes,
comme‌​nts,
start_time,
end_time,
report_date,
week_start_date
) VALUES (
'000287752',
'2016-02-04 16:00:00',
5,
'2016-02-04 12:00:00',
'D000000007',
'CASHIE',
8.0,
0,
0,
'16:00 a',
'12:00 p',
'2016-02-04 00:00:00',
'2016-01-29 00:00:00'
);