TO_DATE ORACLE - SQL

The TO_DATE function in Oracle SQL is used to convert a string into a date value, following a specific format. This function is especially useful when working with tables that store dates as strings, or when inserting dates into a table.

Syntax

The syntax for the TO_DATE function is as follows:

TO_DATE(string, format)

The string parameter is the string that we want to convert into a date. This value can be a column name, a literal string or even a variable.

The format parameter specifies the format that the string is in. This tells the function how the elements of the date are arranged within the string.

Example Usage

Here is an example usage of the TO_DATE function:

SELECT TO_DATE('20201023', 'YYYYMMDD') FROM dual;

This SQL statement would return the date '23-OCT-20'.

In this example, the string '20201023' was converted into a date using the format 'YYYYMMDD'. The 'YYYY' element represents the year, 'MM' represents the month and 'DD' represents the day.

The output format of the date is controlled by the default date format set for the session or by explicitly specifying a format using the TO_CHAR() function.

Conclusion

The TO_DATE function is an essential tool for working with dates within an Oracle SQL database. This function allows us to convert strings into the date format required by our database, enabling us to run queries and insert records with confidence.