Re: opposite of oracle decode

From: DA Morgan <damorgan_at_psoug.org>
Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 06:50:47 -0700
Message-ID: <1128606644.533072@yasure>

Adam Sandler wrote:

> Doug wrote:
> 

>>Adam Sandler wrote:
>>
>>>My question is what if I want to write to the DB? If the user is using
>>>a GUI to interface with the DB and they see open, review, or closed in
>>>the GUI's list of options, I need to trnaslate open, review, or closed
>>>into 1, 2, or 3 to get it into the DB.
>>>
>>
>>Well, if you use SELECT DECODE(your_column, 1, 'OPEN', 2, 'REVIEW', 3,
>>'CLOSED') to query the data, why not just use UPDATE SET your_column =
>>DECODE(your_value, 'OPEN', 1, 'REVIEW', 2, 'CLOSED', 3)?
>>
>>If you're working with DECODE a bit, you might find this useful -
>>http://doug.burns.tripod.com/decode.html
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>--
>>Doug Burns - Oracle DBA
>>
>>dougburns_at_yahoo.com
>>
>>http://doug.burns.tripod.com
>>http://oracledoug.blogspot.com

> 
> 
> Doug... thanks for the reply.  I have a follow-up question.  Isn't
> UPDATE SET dependent upon the data already existing?  If the GUI sends
> this to the data access layer
> 
> INSERT INTO T_TEST (Status) VALUES 'Open'
> 
> won't I get an error?  The status column is set to hold 1 char.  If I
> send "Open" to a new row, that busts the properties of the status
> column.

You are correct that you can not store 4 bytes in a space large enough to hold 1 byte.

But your statements, above, display an astounding lack of knowledge of fundamentals for someone already writing code. I would suggest you take a basic Databases 101 course followed by something specific to Oracle. Until then leverage the materials at http://tahiti.oracle.com.

-- 
Daniel A. Morgan
http://www.psoug.org
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace x with u to respond)

Received on Thu Oct 06 2005 - 08:50:47 CDT