RE: I was told there would be no (date) math

Well, the error message is a bit odd, but, it might make sense that the statement gets an inconsistent datatypes error.

If your statement:
Select trunc(sysdate) - trunc(sysdate) - trunc(sysdate) from dual;

Is processed as:
Select (trunc(sysdate) - trunc(sysdate)) - trunc(sysdate) from dual;

Then it ought to raise an inconsistent datatypes error, cause you can't subtract a date from a number.

Try it this way:
Select trunc(sysdate) - (trunc(sysdate) - trunc(sysdate)) from dual;

to avoid the error.

But, I agree the error message you see doesn't make sense.

-Mark

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Mark J. Bobak
Senior Oracle Architect
ProQuest Information & Learning

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled. --Richard P. Feynman, 1918-1988

-----Original Message-----

From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Jesse, Rich Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 9:52 AM
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: I was told there would be no (date) math

Hey all,

While debugging an analytical function issue using 9.2.0.5, I run this idiotic query:

SELECT TRUNC(SYSDATE) - TRUNC(SYSDATE) - TRUNC(SYSDATE) FROM DUAL; And it errors out with:

ORA-00932: inconsistent datatypes: expected DATE got DATE

(In 10.2, the verbage is modified to "expected JULIAN DATE got DATE")

Add parenthesis and it works:

SELECT TRUNC(SYSDATE) - (TRUNC(SYSDATE) - TRUNC(SYSDATE)) FROM DUAL; I've been looking through the docs and Metalink, but I'm unable to answer "Why?". Anyone?

TIA!
Rich
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http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l

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http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l Received on Thu Apr 13 2006 - 09:40:16 CDT