What Is the Oracle TO_TIMESTAMP Function and How Does It Work?

Oracle is a popular database management system that allows organizations to better manage their data. However, to operate Oracle efficiently, businesses need to use the right functions to manipulate, manage, and organize the data. 

If you rely on date and time data in your business, you might need to use the Oracle TO_TIMESTAMP function to make this data usable. In this post, we’ll discuss how the function works, as well as why it’s so important for organizations that use the Oracle database. 

What Is a Function in Oracle?

A function is a type of subprogram that runs in an Oracle database. There are several different types of functions you might use in Oracle, but at their core, functions are programs that return single values. 

All Oracle functions are created in Procedural Language/Structured Query Language (PL/SQL). Because they’re built from the combination of two languages, Oracle functions are more efficient and versatile. 

If you’re familiar with functions in other programming languages, Oracle functions are essentially the same. They execute certain logic, but they anticipate some type of output.

In Oracle, you need to declare and define a function for it to work. These parameters are required for any function in Oracle: 

• IN: This is a default parameter that passes a value to the function. 
• OUT: This returns the value to the caller.
• IN OUT: This parameter passes the initial value to the function and returns an updated value to the caller.

What Is the Oracle TIMESTAMP Data Type?

The TIMESTAMP data type provides information on year, month, day, hour, minutes, and seconds. It’s incredibly granular, so it’s helpful for tracking precise times. For example, “YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS” is a common TIMESTAMP format. 

The issue is that Oracle users have to convert data strings into the proper TIMESTAMP data format. Unconverted data isn’t as versatile or usable in Oracle, which is why Oracle users rely on the TO_TIMESTAMP function to convert raw data strings into the TIMESTAMP data type.

What Is the Oracle TO_TIMESTAMP Function?

The Oracle TO_TIMESTAMP function converts data strings into the TIMESTAMP data type, which allows you to use date and time data in a wider variety of applications in Oracle.

TO_TIMESTAMP is similar to the TO_DATE function, which converts values to the DATE data type. However, TO_TIMESTAMP includes more precise information in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds. 

How TO_TIMESTAMP Works

To start, you’ll need the TIMESTAMP_STRING, which is the information you want to convert into a timestamp data type. This includes CHAR, VARCHAR2, NCHAR, or NVARCHAR2 character strings.

TO_TIMESTAMP takes these character strings and converts them into a TIMESTAMP data type value. This function only works with character strings; you can’t use CLOB data directly. 

The basic formula is:

TO_TIMESTAMP (input_string, [format_mask], [‘nlsparam’] )

You’ll need to add parameters to make the TO_TIMESTAMP function work. Oracle requires you to add the input_string parameter, which is the string that you want to convert to a TIMESTAMP value. 

Optionally, you can also add format_mask or nlsparam. Format_mask specifies how you want to display the input_string; if you leave this blank, you’ll receive data in the default format for your account settings. Nlsparam specifies how you want to abbreviate months and days in the TO_TIMESTAMP function. 

If you want to use the same parameters on all TO_TIMESTAMP functions, remember that your NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT settings determine how TIMESTAMP data types display. 

This includes formatting for data snippets like: 

• Year in four digits (YYYY)
• Month as a number (01), as an abbreviation (JAN), or as a 9-character name (SEPTEMBER)
• Day of the month (2-28)
• Hour of day (HH), expressed on a 12-hour or 24-hour clock
• Minutes (MI), on a 0-59 scale
• Seconds (SS), on a 0-59 scale

If you ever need TIMESTAMP data values in a format that’s different from your account’s default, be sure to specify that in your TO_TIMESTAMP function.

Oracle TO_TIMESTAMP Function Benefits and Challenges

The purpose of the TO_TIMESTAMP function is to convert data strings into usable TIMESTAMP data types so you can better understand and mobilize your Oracle data. 

Oracle functions can help you: 

• Manipulate data
  Convert several types of timestamp formats with ease thanks to the TO_TIMESTAMP function.
• Improve performance
  Functions allow you to automate a lot of data tasks in Oracle, which can help you save time and prevent errors. 
• Move faster
  Oracle stores the functions you create, which means you can set it up once and continue using it for future projects.

However, Oracle functions aren’t always simple, especially if your organization needs to customize TIMESTAMP formatting every time, and that’s where Argano comes in. Argano is a trusted Oracle partner for apps, infrastructure, and more. For more information, see how our Oracle experts can build your digital foundation in the Oracle Cloud.

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