Re: Oracle Newbie - SQL question

Can someone please read the history (in particular my last post in this thread and help :-)

Thanks in advance!

Jon

"Jack Straw" <jkstraw_no_spam__at_hotmail.com> wrote in message news:TkjZ8.2508$95.40557_at_news...
> Hi and thanks,
>
> So I modified the statement you provided to this:
>
> "select to_char(sysdate -1,'d') from dual"
>
> and as I expected it turned up:
>
> T
> -
> 3
>
> ie. Tuesday = 3
>
> This is why I am confused about my original question.
>
> to_char(hire_date,'d')
>
> returns
>
> Sunday
> Monday
> Tues
> etc
> etc
>
> But "to_char(hire_date -1, 'd')
>
> returns
>
> Monday
> Tuesday
> Wed
> etc
> etc
>
> I would have expected a result of
>
> Sat
> Sun
> Mon
> etc
> etc
>
> Am I nuts? <grin>
>
> jon
>
>
> "TurkBear" <jgreco1_at_mn.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:1hdbjuoc3sh6a4ibncvkq032l4slkphd9f_at_4ax.com...
> > The 'd' is the format mask that returns the Number of the day (
Sunday=1,
> Monday=2, etc)
> >
> > Today ( when I posted this) is Wednesday so:
> > ------------------------------
> > SQL> select to_char(sysdate,'d') from dual;
> > T
> > -
> > 4
> > ---------------------------------------
> > Wednesday = 4 ( the 'd' format gives this)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "Jack Straw" <jkstraw_no_spam__at_hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >Hi Daniel,
> > >
> > >Thank for you response. Your answer seems to make a bit more sense to
me
> > >(or at least jive with my understanding of how the query executes)
> > >
> > >A couple question though (please correct me if I am making wrong
> > >assumptions):
> > >
> > >1. If by default Oracle says sunday =1 monday =2...etc for the
purposes
> of
> > >ordering by date.
> > >
> > >How does Sunday -1 =Monday? Isn't that like 1-1=2?
> > >
> > >2. What does the 'd' represent.
> > >
> > >Sorry if I am asking a dumb question here :-) Thanks again!
> > >
> > >jon
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >"Daniel Morgan" <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> > >news:3D35A407.6B60BFCF_at_exesolutions.com...
> > >> Jack Straw wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > Hey everyone,
> > >> >
> > >> > Just getting my feet wet with Oracle and I have run into a question
I
> > >was
> > >> > hoping to get some help with.
> > >> >
> > >> > I am currently studying for the Oracle SQL cert and came accross
this
> > >> > question:
> > >> >
> > >> > "Display the last name, hire date and the day of the week on which
> the
> > >> > employee started. Label the column DAY. ORder the results by the
> day
> > >of
> > >> > the week starting with Monday"
> > >> >
> > >> > My question concerns the answer supplied in the text:
> > >> >
> > >> > "SELECT last_name, hire_date, TO_CHAR(hire_date,'fmDay')
> > >> > FROM employees
> > >> > ORDER by TO_CHAR(hire_date -1,'d')"
> > >> >
> > >> > I don't understand the ORDER BY clause.
> > >> >
> > >> > Specifically:
> > >> >
> > >> > 1) "hire_date -1"
> > >> > - My understanding is that Oracle's day 1 of a week is Sunday. It
> > >doesn't
> > >> > seem intuative to use "-1" to move a day forward? Am I
> misunderstanding
> > >> > something?
> > >> >
> > >> > 2) 'd'
> > >> > - What does this represent? I had assumed "day" but that
> substitution
> > >> > results in 'some other' weird grouping I don't understand. (ie. it
> > >groups
> > >> > all the days of the week but in no apparent order)
> > >> >
> > >> > Thanks in advance for any help!
> > >> >
> > >> > Jon
> > >>
> > >> It moves the value of Monday to 1 and the value of Sunday to 7.
> > >>
> > >> So the sort becomes Monday, Tuesday, .... Saturday, Sunday
> > >>
> > >> Daniel Morgan
> > >>
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News
> ==----------
> > http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> > -----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers
> =-----
>
>
Received on Fri Jul 19 2002 - 10:34:42 CDT