Re: nls_date_format

A copy of this was sent to Xueyou Hu <xhu_at_cceb.upenn.edu> (if that email address didn't require changing) On Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:29:54 -0500, you wrote:

>my problem:
>
>I create a new database, the default nls_date_format is 'DD-MON-YY', but our
>project span from 1890-1999, I need to change the nls_date_fromat to
>'MON-DD-YYYY', I try "alter session set nls_date_format = 'MON-DD-YYYY'", it
>is ok, the format work in this session, then I go to initial parameter file
>to change the the nls_date_fromat to 'MON-DD-YYYY', shutdown and startup the
>database, but it doesn't work. I don't know why, anybody can tell me how to
>make that work.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Stanley Hu

If the client sets the NLS_* parameters -- they override the server in all cases. In fact, if the client sets the NLS_LANG parameter -- that causes all NLS_* settings on the server to be ignored and the defaults for that NLS_LANG specified on the client on used.

Where that comes into play is typically if the client is windows and the server is unix. The client install on windows set the NLS_LANG parameter in the registry by default. This setting is different from the default you find for unix. Any NLS_* settings you put in the init.ora will *not* be used by those clients.

You would set the nls_date_format in the registry on the client in this case. Just to be sure, your application can always issue the alter session right after logging in as well...  

Thomas Kyte
tkyte_at_us.oracle.com
Oracle Service Industries
Reston, VA USA

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