Accept user input in sql *plus 9.2.0.1.0

Question

Any body budy can get any idea about my sourcr code?
I wrote below code in sql *plus
accept p_hire_date1 date FORMAT 'DD-MON-YYYY' prompt 'ENTER hire date from:'
accept p_hire_date2 date FORMAT 'DD-MON-YYYY' prompt 'ENTER hire date to:'
DECLARE
v_hd1 employees.hire_date%TYPE := TO_DATE(&p_hire_date1);
v_hd2 employees.hire_date%TYPE := TO_DATE(&p_hire_date2);
CURSOR emp_cursor IS
SELECT e.last_name, e.first_name, e.hire_date, e.salary, d.department_name
FROM employees e, departments d
WHERE ((e.hire_date>=v_hd1) AND (e.hire_date<=v_hd2)) AND
(e.department_id=d.department_id)
ORDER BY e.first_name;
emp_record emp_cursor%ROWTYPE;
BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(RPAD('Name',20) || RPAD('Hire Date',15) || RPAD('Salary',15) || RPAD('Dept. name',15));
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(RPAD('-',4*15,'-'));
FOR emp_record IN emp_cursor
LOOP
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(RPAD(emp_record.first_name || ' ' || emp_record.last_name,20) || RPAD(TO_CHAR(emp_record.hire_date),15) || RPAD(TO_CHAR(emp_record.salary),15) || RPAD(emp_record.department_name,15) );
END LOOP;
END;
when I execute it I got this error
SQL> /
Enter value for p_hire_date2: 23
accept p_hire_date1 date FORMAT 'DD-MON-YYYY' prompt 'ENTER hire date from:'
ERROR at line 2:
ORA-00900: invalid SQL statement
any Idea?

Answer 1

Your "accept" statement seems to be correct.
Please change the declaration of v_hd1 and v_hd2 as below.
v_hd1 employees.hire_date%TYPE := TO_DATE('&p_hire_date1','DD-MON-YYYY');
v_hd2 employees.hire_date%TYPE := TO_DATE('&p_hire_date2','DD-MON-YYYY');
Since p_hire_date1 and p_hire_date2 are date variables enter a valid date of format DD-MON-YYYY. You have entered 23 which is not a valid date.