I understand that querying a date will fail as its comparing a string to date and that can cause an issue.
Oracle 11.2 G
Unicode DB
NLS_DATE_FORMAT DD-MON-RR
select * from table where Q_date='16-Mar-09';
It can be solved by
select * from table where trunc(Q_date) = TO_DATE('16-MAR-09', 'DD-MON-YY');
What I don't get is why this works.
select* from table where Q_date='07-JAN-08';
If anyone can please elaborate or correct my mindset.
Thanks
Oracle does allow date literals, but they depend on the installation (particularly the value of NLS_DATE_FORMAT as explained here). Hence, there is not a universal format for interpreting a single string as a date (unless you use the DATE keyword).
The default format is DD-MM-YY, which seems to be the format for your server. So, your statement:
where Q_date = '07-JAN-08'
is interpreted using this format.
I prefer to use the DATE keyword with the ISO standard YYYY-MM-DD format:
where Q_Date = DATE '2008-01-07'
If this gets no rows returned:
select * from table where Q_date='16-Mar-09';
but this does see data:
select * from table where trunc(Q_date) = TO_DATE('16-MAR-09', 'DD-MON-YY');
then you have rows which have a time other than midnight. At this point in the century DD-MON-RR and DD-MON-YY are equivalent, and both will see 09 as 2009, so the date part is right. But the first will only find rows where the time is midnight, while the second is stripping the time off via the trunc, meaning the dates on both sides are at midnight, and therefore equal.
And since this also finds data:
select* from table where Q_date='07-JAN-08';
... then you have rows at midnight on that date. You might also have rows with other times, so checking the count with the trunc version might be useful.
You can check the times you actually have with:
select to_char(q_date, 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') from table;
If you do want to make sure you catch all times within the day you can use a range:
select * from table where
q_date >= date '2009-03-16'
and q_date < date '2009-03-17';
Quick SQL Fiddle demo.
Although it sounds like you're expecting all the times to be midnight, which might indicate a data problem.
Related
The Query using LIKE :(This query when fired gives the desired result)
select * from catissue_audit_event where event_timestamp like '16-DEC-14'
But when using query with '=' results in an empty resultset
select * from catissue_audit_event where event_timestamp='16-DEC-14'
Here event_timestamp is of type Date
Strange thing is that the query runs for other dates such as:
select * from catissue_audit_event where event_timestamp='15-DEC-14'
What can be the issue? I already checked for leading and trailing spaces in the data
Output after running the first query:
In Oracle a DATE (and of course a TIMESTAMP) column contains a time part as well.
Just because your SQL client is hiding the time, doesn't mean it isn't there.
If you want all rows from a specific day (ignoring the time) you need to use trunc()
select *
from catissue_audit_event
where trunc(event_timestamp) = DATE '2014-12-16';
Be aware that this query will not use an index on the event_timestamp column.
You should also not rely on implicit data type conversion as you do with the expression event_timestamp = '16-DEC-14. That statement is going to fail if I run it from my computer because of different NLS settings. Always use a proper DATE literal (as I have done in my statement). If you don't like the unambiguous ISO date, then use to_date():
where trunc(event_timestamp) = to_date('16-12-2014', 'dd-mm-yyyy');
You should avoid using month names unless you know that all environments (which includes computers and SQL clients) where your SQL statement is executed are using the same NLS settings. If you are sure, you can use e.g. to_date('16-DEC-14', 'dd-mon-yy')
The reason why this is different is different to the solution to your issue.
The solution to your issue is to stop performing date comparisons by implicit conversion to a string. Convert your string to a date to perform a date comparison:
select * from catissue_audit_event where event_timestamp = date '2014-12-16'
I cannot stress this enough; when performing a date comparison only compare dates.
Your column EVENT_TIMESTAMP is being implicitly (this is bad) converted to a date in accordance with your NLS_DATE_FORMAT, which you can find as follows:
select * from nls_session_parameters
This governs how date-data is displayed and implicitly converted. The reason why LIKE works and and = doesn't is because your NLS_DATE_FORMAT is masking additional data. In other words, your date has a time component.
If you run the following and then re-select the data from your table you'll see the additional time component
alter session set nls_date_format = 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss'
Thus, if you want all the data for a specific date without constraint on time you'll need to remove the time component:
select * from catissue_audit_event where trunc(event_timestamp) = date '2014-12-16'
have you tried matching the event_timestamp format example: DD-MMM-YY with the date that you are passing?
First, I am aware that this question has been posted generally Equals(=) vs. LIKE.
Here, I query about date type data on ORACLE database, I found the following, when I write select statment in this way:
SELECT ACCOUNT.ACCOUNT_ID, ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE
FROM ACCOUNT
WHERE ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE LIKE '30-JUL-07';
I get all rows I'm looking for. but when I use the sign equal = instead :
SELECT ACCOUNT.ACCOUNT_ID, ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE
FROM ACCOUNT
WHERE ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE = '30-JUL-07';
I get nothing even though nothing is different except the equal sign. Can I find any explanation for this please ?
Assuming LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE is a DATE column (or TIMESTAMP) then both version are very bad practice.
In both cases the DATE column will implicitly be converted to a character literal based on the current NLS settings. That means with different clients you will get different results.
When using date literals always use to_date() with(!) a format mask or use an ANSI date literal. That way you compare dates with dates not strings with strings. So for the equal comparison you should use:
LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE = to_date('30-JUL-07', 'dd-mon-yy')
Note that using 'MON' can still lead to errors with different NLS settings ('DEC' vs. 'DEZ' or 'MAR' vs. 'MRZ'). It is much less error prone using month numbers (and four digit years):
LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE = to_date('30-07-2007', 'dd-mm-yyyy')
or using an ANSI date literal
LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE = DATE '2007-07-30'
Now the reason why the above query is very likely to return nothing is that in Oracle DATE columns include the time as well. The above date literals implicitly contain the time 00:00. If the time in the table is different (e.g. 19:54) then of course the dates are not equal.
To workaround this problem you have different options:
use trunc() on the table column to "normalize" the time to 00:00
trunc(LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE) = DATE '2007-07-30
this will however prevent the usage of an index defined on LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE
use between
LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE between to_date('2007-07-30 00:00:00', 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') and to_date('2007-07-30 23:59:59', 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss')
The performance problem of the first solution could be worked around by creating an index on trunc(LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE) which could be used by that expression. But the expression LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE = '30-JUL-07' prevents an index usage as well because internally it's processed as to_char(LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE) = '30-JUL-07'
The important things to remember:
Never, ever rely on implicit data type conversion. It will give you problems at some point. Always compare the correct data types
Oracle DATE columns always contain a time which is part of the comparison rules.
You should not compare a date to a string directly. You rely on implicit conversions, the rules of which are difficult to remember.
Furthermore, your choice of date format is not optimal: years have four digits (Y2K bug?), and not all languages have the seventh month of the year named JUL. You should use something like YYYY/MM/DD.
Finally, dates in Oracle are points in time precise to the second. All dates have a time component, even if it is 00:00:00. When you use the = operator, Oracle will compare the date and time for dates.
Here's a test case reproducing the behaviour you described:
SQL> create table test_date (d date);
Table created
SQL> alter session set nls_date_format = 'DD-MON-RR';
Session altered
SQL> insert into test_date values
2 (to_date ('2007/07/30 11:50:00', 'yyyy/mm/dd hh24:mi:ss'));
1 row inserted
SQL> select * from test_date where d = '30-JUL-07';
D
-----------
SQL> select * from test_date where d like '30-JUL-07';
D
-----------
30/07/2007
When you use the = operator, Oracle will convert the constant string 30-JUL-07 to a date and compare the value with the column, like this:
SQL> select * from test_date where d = to_date('30-JUL-07', 'DD-MON-RR');
D
-----------
When you use the LIKE operator, Oracle will convert the column to a string and compare it to the right-hand side, which is equivalent to:
SQL> select * from test_date where to_char(d, 'DD-MON-RR') like '30-JUL-07';
D
-----------
30/07/2007
Always compare dates to dates and strings to strings. Related question:
How to correctly handle dates in queries constraints
The date field is not a string. Internally an implicit conversion is made to a string when you use =, which does not match anything because your string does not have the required amount of precision.
I'd have a guess that the LIKE statement behaves somewhat differently with a date field, causing implicit wildcards to be used in the comparison that eliminates the requirement for any precision. Essentially, your LIKE works like this:
SELECT ACCOUNT.ACCOUNT_ID, ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE
FROM ACCOUNT
WHERE ACCOUNT.LAST_TRANSACTION_DATE BETWEEN DATE('30-JUL-07 00:00:00.00000+00:00') AND DATE('30-JUL-07 23:59:59.99999+00:00');
I am trying to update a date in a SQL table. I am using Peoplesoft Oracle. When I run this query:
Select ASOFDATE from PASOFDATE;
I get 4/16/2012
I tried running this query
UPDATE PASOFDATE SET ASOFDATE = '11/21/2012';
but it is not working.
Does anyone know how I would change the date to the one desired?
This is based on the assumption that you're getting an error about the date format, such as an invalid month value or non-numeric character when numeric expected.
Dates stored in the database do not have formats. When you query the date your client is formatting the date for display, as 4/16/2011. Normally the same date format is used for selecting and updating dates, but in this case they appear to be different - so your client is apparently doing something more complicated that SQL*Plus, for example.
When you try to update it it's using a default date format model. Because of how it's displayed you're assuming that is MM/DD/YYYY, but it seems not to be. You could find out what it is, but it's better not to rely on the default or any implicit format models at all.
Whether that is the problem or not, you should always specify the date model:
UPDATE PASOFDATE SET ASOFDATE = TO_DATE('11/21/2012', 'MM/DD/YYYY');
Since you aren't specifying a time component - all Oracle DATE columns include a time, even if it's midnight - you could also use a date literal:
UPDATE PASOFDATE SET ASOFDATE = DATE '2012-11-21';
You should maybe check that the current value doesn't include a time, though the column name suggests it doesn't.
Here is how you set the date and time:
update user set expiry_date=TO_DATE('31/DEC/2017 12:59:59', 'dd/mm/yyyy hh24:mi:ss') where id=123;
If this SQL is being used in any peoplesoft specific code (Application Engine, SQLEXEC, SQLfetch, etc..) you could use %Datein metaSQL. Peopletools automatically converts the date to a format which would be accepted by the database platform the application is running on.
In case this SQL is being used to perform a backend update from a query analyzer (like SQLDeveloper, SQLTools), the date format that is being used is wrong. Oracle expects the date format to be DD-MMM-YYYY, where MMM could be JAN, FEB, MAR, etc..
Just to add to Alex Poole's answer, here is how you do the date and time:
TO_DATE('31/DEC/2017 12:59:59', 'dd/mm/yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
I have a table structure having a EMP_DATE column as below
ID EMP_DATE
---- -----------
5400 14-FEB-2012
and i have inserted records into the table as below
INSERT INTO TEST_DATE VALUES(5400,SYSDATE);
After inserting records while i am trying to fetch the records of those who has EMP_DATE
as SYSDATE its giving no rows selected.
For time being let the SYSDATE be '01-JUL-2012`
SELECT * FROM TEST_DATE WHERE EMP_DATE = SYSDATE;
(OR)
SELECT * FROM TESt_DATE WHERE EMP_DATE = '01-JUL-2012';
i was not able figure out any solution .
Any suggestions would be helpful .
The main problem is that a date includes hours, minutes and seconds, which you're not allowing for. If you want everything for a single day you can use the trunc function in order to get this:
SELECT * FROM TEST_DATE WHERE trunc(EMP_DATE) = trunc(SYSDATE);
By default trunc removes the time portion of a date, when operating on a date column. I would normally recommend a functional index on trunc(emp_date) in order to optimize this query. Something like:
create index i_test_date on test_date(trunc(emp_date));
I've built a little SQL Fiddle to demonstrate this.
There is an additional problem; though Oracle does support ANSI date literals your second query is wrong. Always, explicitly convert to a string to a date using the to_date function.
SELECT * FROM TEST_DATE WHERE EMP_DATE = to_date('01-07-2012','dd-mm-yyyy');
I've used the mm datetime format model instead of mon as there's no guarantee that JUL will always mean July; it depends on your NLS parameters, what "date language" your particular database or session is using. A datetime format model is how you tell the database the format of whatever string you're passing it to be converted into a date.
If you're interested the ANSI syntax for your second query would be:
SELECT * FROM TESt_DATE WHERE trunc(EMP_DATE) = DATE '2012-07-01'
It must be in this format (YYYY-MM-DD) to work.
When ececute the following SQL syntax in Oracle, always not success, please help.
40284.3878935185 represents '2010-04-16 09:18:34', with microsecond.
an epoch date of 01 January 1900 (like Excel).
create table temp1 (date1 number2(5,10));
insert into temp1(date1) values('40284.3878935185');
select to_date(date1, 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ssxff') from temp1
Error report: SQL Error: ORA-01861: literal does not match format
string
01861. 00000 - "literal does not match format string"
*Cause: Literals in the input must be the same length as literals in
the format string (with the exception of leading whitespace). If the
"FX" modifier has been toggled on, the literal must match exactly,
with no extra whitespace.
*Action: Correct the format string to match the literal.
Thanks to Mark Bannister
Now the SQL syntax is:
select to_char(to_date('1899-12-30','yyyy-mm-dd') +
date1,'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') from temp1
but can't fetch the date format like 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss.ff'. Continue look for help.
Using an epoch date of 30 December 1899, try:
select to_date('1899-12-30','yyyy-mm-dd') + date1
Simple date addition doesn't work with timestamps, at least if you need to preserve the fractional seconds. When you do to_timestamp('1899-12-30','yyyy-mm-dd')+ date1 (in a comment on Mark's answer) the TIMESTAMP is implicitly converted to a DATE before the addition, to the overall answer is a DATE, and so doesn't have any fractional seconds; then you use to_char(..., '... .FF') it complains with ORA-01821.
You need to convert the number of days held by your date1 column into an interval. Fortunately Oracle provides a function to do exactly that, NUMTODSINTERVAL:
select to_timestamp('1899-12-30','YYYY-MM-DD')
+ numtodsinterval(date1, 'DAY') from temp3;
16-APR-10 09.18.33.999998400
You can then display that in your desired format, e.g. (using a CTE to provide your date1 value):
with temp3 as ( select 40284.3878935185 as date1 from dual)
select to_char(to_timestamp('1899-12-30','YYYY-MM-DD')
+ numtodsinterval(date1, 'DAY'), 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SSXFF') from temp3;
2010-04-16 09:18:33.999998400
Or to restrict to thousandths of a second:
with temp3 as ( select 40284.3878935185 as date1 from dual)
select to_char(to_timestamp('1899-12-30','YYYY-MM-DD')+
+ numtodsinterval(date1, 'DAY'), 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.FF3') from temp3;
2010-04-16 09:18:33.999
An epoch of 1899-12-30 sounds odd though, and doesn't correspond to Excel as you stated. It seems more likely that your expected result is wrong and it should be 2010-04-18, so I'd check your assumptions. Andrew also makes some good points, and you should be storing your value in the table in a TIMESTAMP column. If you receive data like this though, you still need something along these lines to convert it for storage at some point.
Don't know the epoch date exactly, but try something like:
select to_date('19700101','YYYYMMDD')+ :secs_since_epoch/86400 from dual;
Or, cast to timestamp like:
select cast(to_date('19700101', 'YYYYMMDD') + :secs_since_epoch/86400 as timestamp with local time zone) from dual;
I hope this doesn't come across too harshly, but you've got to totally rethink your approach here.
You're not keeping data types straight at all. Each line of your example misuses a data type.
TEMP1.DATE1 is not a date or a varchar2, but a NUMBER
you insert not the number 40284.3878935185, but the STRING >> '40284.3878935185' <<
your SELECT TO_DATE(...) uses the NUMBER Temp1.Date1 value, but treats it as a VARCHAR2 using the format block
I'm about 95% certain that you think Oracle transfers this data using simple block data copies. "Since each Oracle date is stored as a number anyway, why not just insert that number into the table?" Well, because when you're defining a column as a NUMBER you're telling Oracle "this is not a date." Oracle therefore does not manage it as a date.
Each of these type conversions is calculated by Oracle based on your current session variables. If you were in France, where the '.' is a thousands separator rather than a radix, the INSERT would completely fail.
All of these conversions with strings are modified by the locale in which Oracle thinks your running. Check dictionary view V$NLS_PARAMETERS.
This gets worse with date/time values. Date/time values can go all over the map - mostly because of time zone. What time zone is your database server in? What time zone does it think you're running from? And if that doesn't spin your head quite enough, check out what happens if you change Oracle's default calendar from Gregorian to Thai Buddha.
I strongly suggest you get rid of the numbers ENTIRELY.
To create date or date time values, use strings with completely invariant and unambiguous formats. Then assign, compare and calculate date values exclusively, e.g.:
GOODFMT constant VARCHAR2 = 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.FFF ZZZ'
Good_Time DATE = TO_DATE ('2012-02-17 08:07:55.000 EST', GOODFMT);