try to_number(ltrim(rtrim(field))
Joost Ouwerkerk <joost.ouwerkerk_at_sickkids.on.ca> wrote in message
news:367e8cf4.13972395_at_resunix.sickkids.on.ca...
>I am trying to cast a VARCHAR2 field into a number using TO_NUMBER for
>a calculation (credit card check digit verification algorithm) using
>only SQL*plus. The script errors out with an 'Invalid number'
>message, presumably because one of the VARCHAR2 field contains a
>non-numeric character. I've already TRANSLATEd dashes and spaces out,
>and I suppose I could add the whole alphabet in there, but is there no
>other way to find out if a field contains non-numeric chars?
>
>Joost Ouwerkerk
>Toronto, Canada
Received on Mon Dec 21 1998 - 14:40:18 CST
