Re: CAST vs. TO_NUMBER or TO_CHAR or TO_DATE or ...

Or perhaps

   CAST(diff_time AS INTERVAL DAY(4) TO SECOND(0))

which would give something like

   DIFF_TIME    

   +1528 03:14:22

-----Original message-----
From: David Taft
Date: 11/10/07 18:58
> Looks useful for figuring out things like elapsed time. No doubt
> there are other ways to do the same thing and I'm sure there are many
> other uses for cast. I'm glad to have been made aware of this function.
>
> David
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> --Elapsed days and time since object creation and last DDL change.
> col days heading "Elapsed|Days"
> col time heading "Elapsed|Time"
> select
> lpad(extract(day from objtime.diff_time),5) days,
> lpad(extract(hour from objtime.diff_time),2,'0')||':'||
> lpad(extract(minute from objtime.diff_time),2,'0')||':'||
> lpad(extract(second from objtime.diff_time),2,'0') time
> from
> (select cast(LAST_DDL_TIME as timestamp) - cast(CREATED as timestamp)
> diff_time
> from DBA_OBJECTS
> where owner='SYS'
> and object_type='PACKAGE BODY'
> and object_name='DBMS_ALERT') objtime
> /
> Elaps Elapsed
> Days Time
> ----- --------
> 1528 03:14:22
>
>
> On 10/11/07, *Jared Still* <jkstill_at_gmail.com
> <mailto:jkstill_at_gmail.com>> wrote:

>


>     On 10/11/07, *Rumpi Gravenstein* < rgravens_at_gmail.com

>     <mailto:rgravens_at_gmail.com>> wrote:

>


>         I've been looking at the Oracle CAST function vs. a TO_NUMBER

>         or TO_CHAR or ....  Where both the CAST and TO_ functions

>         result in equivalent answers, is there a preferred choice?

>          

>
>


>     CAST() is clearly faster than TO_DATE, and more robust as well.

>


>     There may be other advantages to using it.

>

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