Validate field value is number or varchar

Question

Hi All,
I want to validate field's value is number/varchar by single line query. is it possible?
e.g.
select is_number(fieldval, 'Number','Varchar') from dual;
Thanks in advance.
- Hiren Modi

Answer 1

Hi,
If you cannot use regexps (due to your DB-version perhaps) you could do something like:
MHO%xe> create table t as (
  2  select 'YES' col from dual union all
  3  select 'NO' from dual union all
  4  select '1' from dual union all
  5  select '2' from dual union all
  6  select '3' from dual union all
  7  select '4' from dual union all
  8  select '5' from dual union all
  9  select '6' from dual union all
10  select '7' from dual union all
11  select 'NO' from dual union all
12  select 'YES' from dual union all
13  select 'ABCED' from dual union all
14  select '33' from dual union all
15  select '5699' from dual union all
16  select 'KPKHIH' from dual union all
17  select 'ASDFSDAFSD' from dual union all
18  select 'ASDFASDFSDFSDFSDAFASD' from dual union all
19  select '212121' from dual union all
20  select '9689898' from dual union all
21  select '6545454' from dual union all
22  select '212121' from dual union all
23  select '5745757' from dual union all
24  select '9857441969*' from dual
25  );
Tabel is aangemaakt.
MHO%xe> create or replace function is_number( p_string in varchar2 )
  2  return varchar2
  3  deterministic
  4  as
  5    l_num number;
  6  begin
  7    l_num := p_string;
  8    return 'Number';
  9  exception
10    when others then return 'Varchar2';
11  end;
12  /
Functie is aangemaakt.
MHO%xe> select col, is_number(col) dtype from t;
COL             DTYPE
YES             Varchar2
NO              Varchar2
1               Number
2               Number
3               Number
4               Number
5               Number
6               Number
7               Number
NO              Varchar2
YES             Varchar2
ABCED           Varchar2
33              Number
5699            Number
KPKHIH          Varchar2
ASDFSDAFSD      Varchar2
ASDFASDFSDFSDFS Varchar2
DAFASD
212121          Number
9689898         Number
6545454         Number
212121          Number
5745757         Number
9857441969*     Varchar2You could index is_number as well.
See: http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/asktom/f?p=100:11:0::::P11_QUESTION_ID:15767849694647