Preamble
The Oracle/PLSQL TO_DATE function converts a string into a date.
Syntax of the Oracle/PLSQL TO_DATE function
TO_DATE( string1_id, [ format_mask_id ], [ nls_language_id ] )
Parameters and function arguments
- string1_id – is a string that will be converted to date.
- format_mask_id – is optional. This is the format that will be used to convert string1 to date.
It can be one or a combination of the following values:
| Parameter | Explanation |
| YYYY | 4-digit year. |
| YYY YY Y |
The last 3, 2 or 1 digit(s) of the year. |
| IYY IY I |
The last 3, 2 or 1 digit(s) of the ISO year. |
| IYYY | 4-digit year according to ISO standard. |
| RRRR |
Takes the year with 2 digits and returns the year with 4 digits.
The value between 0-49 will return 20xx year. Value between 50-99 will return 19xx year. |
| Q | Quarter of the year (1, 2, 3, 4; JAN-MAR = 1). |
| MM | Month (01-12; JAN = 01). |
| MON | Abbreviated name of the month. |
| MONTH |
The name of the month, supplemented by spaces up to 9 characters long.
|
| RM | Roman numeral RM (I-XII; JAN = I). |
| WW |
Week of the year (1-53), where week 1 begins on the first day of the year and continues until the seventh day of the year.
|
| W |
Week of the month (1-5), where the first week begins on the first day of the month and ends on the seventh.
|
| IW |
Week of the year (1-52 or 1-53) based on ISO standard.
|
| D | Day of the week (1-7). |
| DAY | The name of the day. |
| DD | Day of the month (1-31). |
| DDD | Day of the Year (1-366). |
| DY | Abbreviated name of the day. |
| J |
Julian day; number of days from 1 January 4712 BC.
|
| HH | One o’clock (1-12). |
| HH12 | One o’clock (1-12). |
| HH24 | One o’clock (0-23). |
| MI | One minute (0-59). |
| SS | Секунда (0-59). |
| SSSSS | Seconds after midnight (0-86399). |
| FF |
Fractional seconds. Use a value between 1 and 9 after FF to specify the number of digits in fractions of a second. For example, ‘FF4’.
|
| AM, A.M., PM, or P.M. | Meridian indicator. |
| AD or A.D | AD indicator. |
| BC or B.C. | BC indicator. |
| TZD | Summertime information. For example, ‘PST’ |
| TZH | The time zone is one hour. |
| TZM | The time zone is the minute. |
| TZR | The time zone of the region. |
- nls_language_id – is optional. NLS language is used to convert string1 to date.
The TO_DATE function can be used in the following versions of Oracle/PLSQL
Oracle 12c, Oracle 11g, Oracle 10g, Oracle 9i, Oracle 8i
Let’s consider some examples of the TO_DATE function to understand how to use the TO_DATE function in Oracle.
SELECT TO_DATE('2019/07/22', 'yyyyy/mm/dd') FROM DUAL;
--Result: 22.07.2019
SELECT TO_DATE('072219', 'MMDDYYY') FROM DUAL;
--Result: 22.07.2019
SELECT TO_DATE('20190722', 'yyyyymmdd') FROM DUAL;
--Result: 22.07.2019
SELECT TO_DATE('30.01.2019 18:30:52', 'DD.MM.YYYYY HH24:MI:SS') FROM DUAL;
--Result: 30.01.2019 18:30:52
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