Error when converting using to_number()

Question

Hi!
I have problems running this query:
select * from AB_TRAN sample block (to_number(',000099'),10);
It gives this error message:
ORA-00933: SQL command not properly endedWhile this one runs correctly:
select to_number(',000099') as num from dual;We are on Oracle 9iR2.
Anyone knows what's wrong?

Answer 1

Hi!
I had already fixed those errors.
I gave up to find how to fix the script so I did a little rewrite. It is not completely generic, but it works here.
The trick was to do a string replace of the comma with a dot.
Ths script now look like this:
create or replace function compression_ratio (tabname varchar2)
return number is
   pragma autonomous_transaction;
   -- sample percentage
   pct number := 0.000099;
   --pct number := 1;
   strSQL varchar2(100);
   -- original block count (should be less than 10k)
   blkcnt number := 0;
   -- compressed block count   
   blkcntc number;  
begin
    dbms_output.enable();
    execute immediate ' create table TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED pctfree 0
                      as select * from ' || tabname ||
                    ' where rownum < 1';
  while ((pct < 100) and (blkcnt < 1000)) loop
    execute immediate 'truncate table TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED';
    strSQL := 'insert into TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED select * from ' || tabname ||  ' sample block (' || pct||',10)';
    strSQL := replace(strSQL,'(,','(.');                --New code
    strSQL := replace(strSQL,'(9,9','(9.9');         --New code
    dbms_output.put_line('strSQL: ' || strSQL ); --New code
    execute immediate strSQL;                         --New code
    execute immediate 'select
            count(distinct(dbms_rowid.rowid_block_number(rowid)))
            from TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED' into blkcnt;
    pct := pct * 10;
  end loop;
  execute immediate 'create table TEMP_COMPRESSED compress as
                     select * from TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED';
  execute immediate 'select
          count(distinct(dbms_rowid.rowid_block_number(rowid)))
          from TEMP_COMPRESSED' into blkcntc;
  execute immediate 'drop table TEMP_COMPRESSED';
  execute immediate 'drop table TEMP_UNCOMPRESSED';
  return (blkcnt/blkcntc);
end;
/So this concludes the case I guess. Thanks for your efforts!
Btw, this select generates a select union statement that lists the possible compression ration for all tables in current schema. Remember to remove the last "UNION" before running the statement:
select 'select ''' || table_name ||''', compression_ratio (''' ||table_name || ''') as compr from dual union;' from user_tables order by 1;Thanks for your help. I think the case is closed now if noone else has something to add.
Rgds
Per Chr.