Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Data Management:
SQL Reference

> ## Date-time formats

> The `TO_CHAR` function supports the date-format and the time-format strings to control the output of date and time values. The format strings consist of keywords that SQL interprets and replaces with formatted values.

> The syntax for the `TO_CHAR` function is as follows:

> #### Syntax

>     TO_CHAR ( expresion [ , format_string ] )

> `expression`

> Converts to character form. It must evaluate to a value of the date or time data type to use the format_string.

> `format_string`

> Specifies the format of the output. SQL ignores the format string if the `expression` argument does not evaluate to a date or time.

> Supply the format strings, enclosed in single quotation marks, as the second argument to the function. The format strings are case sensitive. For instance, SQL replaces `DAY` with all uppercase letters, but follows the case of `Day`.

> The following example illustrates the difference between how a date value displays with and without the `TO_CHAR` function:

> Example

>     SELECT C1 FROM T2;
>     C1
>     --
>     09/29/1952
>     1 record selected

>     SELECT TO_CHAR(C1, 'Day, Month ddth'),
>          TO_CHAR(C2, 'HH12 a.m.') FROM T2;

>     TO_CHAR(C1,DAY, MONTH DDTH) TO_CHAR(C2,HH12 A.M.)
>     --------------------------- ---------------------
>     Monday  , September 29th  02 p.m.
>     1 record selected

Copyright © 2005 Progress Software Corporation www.progress.com Voice: (781) 280-4000 Fax: (781) 280-4095