Error with date conversion

Question

Hi,
I receive a date from an IDOC in the format 20061005160300. This date must be converted to insert it in an Oracle database. I wrote a little UDF which cuts the string to 8 characters and puts a TO_DATE(' before and a ','YYYY-MM-DDD') after it.
Now I get an Oracle error because somehow there is a blank (after the TO_DATE') in the final string:
<DATUM_VB hasQuot="No">TO_DATE(' 2006092','YYYY-MM-DD')</DATUM_VB>
Here is my UDF:
int length = date.length();
String sub = new String();
String before = new String("TO_DATE('");
String after = new String("','YYYY-MM-DD')");
if(length >= 8 && !date.equals("00000000"))
sub = before+date.substring(0, 8)+after;
else{
sub = "";
return sub;
Do you have any idea why there is a blank in it? If I test the mapping there's no error and no blank...
Regards
Dominic

Answer 1

Hi Dominic,
Alternatively use Transform fn under Date Function..
Double click on the built in fn and in the property area u have to key key source and target date Format
give as follows..
Source Date Format: yyyyMMddHHmmss
Target Date Format: yyyy-MM-dd
Use built in Concat fun further to construct ur To_date function.
Regards,
Sudharshan