ERROR IN TO_DATE FORMAT

Question

Hi everyone,
As you know exists an error: ORA-01855 AM/A.M. or PM/P.M
This error gets when you try to execute some query like this:
SELECT TO_DATE('01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.','DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS PM') FROM DUAL
In this query the value of varchar is "01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.", finishing with P.M., that is the letter P and M follows of a dot.
If you execute this query the error 01855 will show. Also if you change the "PM" in the format part by "P.M." the error follows showing.
SELECT TO_DATE('01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.','DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS P.M.') FROM DUAL
But if you execute this query , but only changing the "P.M." in the value part by "PM" this display the correct result.
SELECT TO_DATE('01-01-2009 8:01:09 PM','DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS PM') FROM DUAL;
Having of an input value a varchar2 with '01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.' as value,
How can I convert in the format 'DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS AM'?,
This must be without deleting the dots in the "P.M." part?
Any help will be very appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Best Regards

Answer 1

Your post is very confusing but I ran the following queries and both worked successfully on a 10.2.0.3 environment:
SQL > SELECT TO_DATE('01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.','DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS P.M.') FROM DUAL;
TO_DATE('01-01-2009
01/01/2009 20:01:09
SQL > SELECT TO_DATE(REPLACE('01-01-2009 8:01:09 P.M.','.',''),'DD-MM-YYYY HH:MI:SS PM') FROM DUAL;
TO_DATE(REPLACE('01
01/01/2009 20:01:09
SQL >The first one, is one that in your post says generates an error. The second replaces the periods with nothing. However, this is conditional on no other periods being used in your date format.
HTH!