Re: Reports 2.5: No format mask for char fields?

Hello Todd:
Yes, there is a workaround to this problem. You have to 'hardcode' the format in your select statement.
Example:
SELECT SUBSTR(phone_number, 1,3)||'-'||SUBSTR(phone_number, 4,2)||'-'||SUBSTR(phone_number, 7,6) PHONE FROM mytable;
I will also sugest to change the font to 'Courier New' or a similar one. Regards,
Mabel
Ps: You will have more 'surprises' with Oracle Reports.

Todd Owers <ToddO_at_gcr1.com> wrote in article <01bd38a1$d1d48d60$764c1bcc_at_toddo.gcr1.com>...
> The Reports 2.5 Reference Manual states: "Character values have no
 format
> mask. You cannot enter a format mask for fields with character values."
>
> I find this fact surprising, because it is inconsistent with Forms 4.5,
> which does allow format masks on character fields. In my database, I did
> not store the hyphens in phone number and SSN fields, because the form
> would display them via the format mask. But when I print these fields on
 a
> report, there are no hyphens. Visually, it does not look good to see a
> phone number with all 7 digits pushed together.
>
> Is there a way around this problem?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Todd Owers
> toddo_at_gcr1.com
>
Received on Fri Feb 13 1998 - 00:00:00 CET