Date Format in Forms- Need inputs.

Question

Forms [32 Bit] Version 9.0.4.1.0 (Production)
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
I have date type field (Db column of date type Date ) in a data block and its value is set based on a char field value in another block, in a trigger event.
In a when-button-pressed trigger, I convert a char item value (from another block - :mod_plan.date_plan_to_zero, Eg say 05/27/2013) to to_date, something like below.
trigger code
begin
:lims_flood_gates.plan_date := to_date (:mod_plan.plan_date_to_zero,'mm/dd/yyyy');
end;
When I run the form in debug mode, I see that plan_date (which is a date type field, with format mask MM/DD/RRRR) has a value '2013/05/27 00:00:00'...?! as soon as the above code is run.
using TRUNC did not work. No matter what, the value when converted to date and assigned to the variable, takes the said format. I need to lose the time portion and need the date to be mm/dd/yyyy format.
How can I do that?
Thanks
SR

Answer 1

Try these in when-new-form-instance trigger:
set_application_property(builtin_date_format,'mm/dd/yyyy');
     set_application_property(plsql_date_format,'mm/dd/yyyy');
     FORMS_DDL('ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = "mm/dd/yyyy"');
I don't know about that format mm/dd/rrrr I'd use y's instead.
As others have said, a date in the database is a date-time so you can never really get rid of the time underneath the hood.