Select Query resulting in Scientific Notation

Question

Hello all,
I am running a Select query through a batch file that extracts data from an Oracle database. Several of the fields that I am extracting from contain numbers that are up to 38 digits long. When I extract the data, it converts the numbers into scientific notation and it is important for me to have the entire field. Is there something I can change to my query that will pull the data in its entire form? This is what I'm running now:
select * FROM ML.APPT where APPTDATE >= to_date('01/1/2010','mm/dd/yyyy'
I apologize in advance if this has been answered already.
Thanks!

Answer 1

>
When the extractor finishes, it returns the data into a flat file.
don't quite understand the TO_CHAR function. Does this function mean I need to say something like this: select "TO_CHAR('column name', 99999999999999999999999999999999999999" FROM ML.APPT where APPTDATE >= to_date('01/1/2010','mm/dd/yyyy')
>
Yes- if the tool you use to extract the data (your 'extractor') is converting the numeric data to a string then it is responsible for creating the string in the proper format. If the number is an integer that can have as many digits as you have '9's in your sample format string then that is what you need to do.
Here is how sql*plus (Oracle's tool) will display the data using default settings
SQL> select 12345678901234567890123456789012345678 no_format,
  2  to_char(12345678901234567890123456789012345678, '99999999999999999999999999
999999999999') with_format
  3   from dual;
NO_FORMAT WITH_FORMAT
1.2346E+37  12345678901234567890123456789012345678
SQL>
----- TOAD will display something similiar but the default uses more decimal digits in the scientific notation data
NO_FORMAT,WITH_FORMAT
1.23456789012346E37, 12345678901234567890123456789012345678You can either format the numeric data in the query using TO_CHAR or the 'extractor' can do it when it converts the data to a string.