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Re: integer vs integer external in .ctl file

From: Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl>
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 07:19:07 +0200
Message-ID: <bl62i1l1m1391oqe1s7kvsvd0uoi1gg5l1@4ax.com>


On 8 Sep 2005 13:48:35 -0700, "cumin" <jkilbourne_at_gmail.com> wrote:

>Looking on the web, I found that integer values in the .ctl file can be
>changed to char() with a number of digits spcified in the parens.
>Changing my .ctl file in that way does work. The other solution is to
>change "integer" to "integer external" in the .ctl file. My question
>is, "Why is this so?" I didn't find this well-documented.

The first 'solution' is a bad idea as it will allow non-numerics in your data. Eventually Oracle will reject them, but you leave the conversion to the database.
Integer external just means your numbers aren't stored in binary (O/S specific) form, but in whatever characterset is on the O/S.

--
Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA
Received on Fri Sep 09 2005 - 00:19:07 CDT

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