Validate numeric in updatable report

Question

What is the best way to handle a user placing a $ sign in a numeric field. The numeric field(unit_cost) exists in an updatable report. When a $ sign is entered, the following error occurs:
Error in mru internal routine: ORA-20001: Error in MRU: row= 1, ORA-20001: ORA-20001: Found invalid number value, please verify number format., insert into "PURCHASEREQ_DEV"."PRM_REQ_ITEMS"
The options I have tried aren't working probably due to syntax. I am looking for the quickest and easiest way to do this. 1. Is there a way to intercept the oracle error and handle it gracefully for the end user? 2. I have attempted some javascript solutions to manipulate the field with no avail. 3. I am also aware of Denes example of validation on updateable reports.
Shelly

Answer 1

Dan,
The first example you provided was good and it worked. Of course I want my cake and eat it too.
It gave an error message on the same page (did not give a row by row breakdown). Also when comma's
were placed in the numeric field(which the oracle table doesn't complain about) I get the error. I would like to
be able to just check for $ signs. I tried this
DECLARE
l_error VARCHAR2 (4000);
BEGIN
FOR i IN 1 .. apex_application.g_f02.COUNT
LOOP
IF instr(apex_application.g_f10 (i),'$') > 0
THEN
l_error :=
l_error
|| '</br>'
|| 'Row '
|| i
|| '** Please remove the $ sign**';
END IF;
END LOOP;
RETURN LTRIM (l_error, '</br>');
END;
This works, to some degree. It shows the error message at the top of the page and specifies which row the error occurred on , but when I scroll down to the updatable report region, it did not keep the values that had been entered. So I routed the error to a new page and that worked. When I closed the page, the data was still there with the $ sign waiting to be changed. It would be nice if I could keep it on the same page.
I also tried the second example you sent. I receive the error everytime, even when a valid number with no $ sign or comma is in the field.
Shelly