Infuriatingly complex missing parenthesis problem!!

Question

Hi
Im new to this forum but just wondering could anybody help me with this problem (or suggest another solution in sql).
Im developing an application to calculate the distance in kilometres between 2 sets of longtitude and latitude points. Im using the Haversine formula, which in javascript is:
var R = 6371; // km
var dLat = (lat2-lat1).toRad();
var dLon = (lon2-lon1).toRad();
var a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
Math.cos(lat1.toRad()) * Math.cos(lat2.toRad()) *
Math.sin(dLon/2) * Math.sin(dLon/2);
var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));
var d = R * c;
"d" is the distance in km's. Im converting this to sql (im using coldfusion to output variables latitude1 and longitude1, which are hardcoded to cartain values at the moment). To find "a", the sql is:
          select
          Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    + Cos(<cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput> * 3.14159/180)
                    * Cos(L.Latitude * 3.14159/180)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    FROM
                         tblLocations L
This works find and gives me the correct answer for "a". So next i need to find the value of "c" (using the formula var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a))). Im substituting the sql to find "a" for "a" in that formula. So:
select 2 * Atan2(Sqrt(a), Sqrt(1-a)) from tblLocations
becomes
               select 2 * Atan2(Sqrt((Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    + Cos(<cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput> * 3.14159/180)
                    * Cos(L.Latitude * 3.14159/180)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2))), Sqrt(1-(Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    + Cos(<cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput> * 3.14159/180)
                    * Cos(L.Latitude * 3.14159/180)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)))) As "KM"
from tblLocations L
There are 33 "(" parenthesis and 33 ")" parenthesis. But im getting an error "missing parenthesis". Sql should automatically execute the most embedded formulas first and work outwards. But it seems to be failing. Am I forgetting something? Or maybe theres another apporach I could use? I tried embedding a select within a select but I cannot use the "a" answer in the embedded select for calculations in the outer select....its all very baffling!
Thanks
Mark

Answer 1

ya thats true:) i changed it slightly:
     select 2 * Atan2(Sqrt(Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    + Cos(<cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput> * 3.14159/180)
                    * Cos(L.Latitude * 3.14159/180)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)), Sqrt(1-(Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Latitude - <cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    + Cos(<cfoutput>#latitude1#</cfoutput> * 3.14159/180)
                    * Cos(L.Latitude * 3.14159/180)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)
                    * Sin(((L.Longitude - <cfoutput>#longitude1#</cfoutput>) * 3.14159/180)/2)))) As "KM"
                                   FROM
                         tblLocations L
It now works fine! Anyway, i'll use the sdo_geom.sdo_distance function. much tidier. thanks a lot for the help!
Mark