Wt is the use of Attribute's ColumnType SQLType entries in Programmatic VO?

Question

Hi all,
I am using JDeveloper 11.1.1.4.0
I want to get some clarifications on whether ColumnType and SQLType entries are required for Programmatic VO or not?
What i tested?
I created a client interface method, which creates a new view criteria for VO (EffBgnDt should be less than or equal to current date) and apply it. I also added a console output to know how the clause for cache is framed. In VO xml, since we are able to edit the ColumnType and SQLType of attribute, i changed those for Date attribute and applied the VC and here i've given details below on how the class for cache got generated for various SQLTYPE.
    public void applyVc()
        final String _CRITERIA_ = "TestCriteria";
        Date currentDt = new Date("2011-05-23");
        if (this.getViewCriteria(_CRITERIA_) != null)
            this.getViewCriteriaManager().removeViewCriteria(_CRITERIA_);
        ViewCriteria vc = this.createViewCriteria();
        vc.setName(_CRITERIA_);
        vc.setCriteriaMode(ViewCriteria.CRITERIA_MODE_CACHE);
        ViewCriteriaRow vcRow1 = vc.createViewCriteriaRow();
        ViewCriteriaItem row1BgnDtItem = vcRow1.ensureCriteriaItem("EffBgnDt");
        row1BgnDtItem.setOperator(JboCompOper.OPER_LE);
        row1BgnDtItem.setValue(currentDt);
        row1BgnDtItem.setIsBindVarValue(false);
        vc.insertRow(vcRow1);
        System.err.println("Clause For Cache: " + this.getViewCriteriaManager().buildViewCriteriaClauses(vc).getClauseForCache());
        this.applyViewCriteria(vc);
        this.executeQuery();
    }1. with ColumnType="DATE" , SQLType="DATE", filter criteria is working
Clause For Cache:  ( (TO_CHAR( EffBgnDt, 'yyyy-mm-dd') <= '2011-05-23' ) ) 2. with ColumnType="VARCHAR2", SQLType="VARCHAR", filter criteria is working
Clause For Cache:  ( (EffBgnDt <= '2011-05-23' ) ) 3. with ColumnType="BIGINT", SQLType="NUMERIC", getting stackoverflow exception.
Clause For Cache:  ( (EffBgnDt <= 2011-05-23 ) ) 
java.lang.StackOverflowError
     at sun.util.calendar.BaseCalendar.getCalendarDateFromFixedDate(BaseCalendar.java:443)
     at sun.util.calendar.AbstractCalendar.getCalendarDate(AbstractCalendar.java:147)
     at sun.util.calendar.Gregorian.getCalendarDate(Gregorian.java:55)
     at sun.util.calendar.Gregorian.getCalendarDate(Gregorian.java:19)
     at sun.util.calendar.AbstractCalendar.getTime(AbstractCalendar.java:193)
     at java.util.Date.normalize(Date.java:1237)
     at java.util.Date.normalize(Date.java:1184)
     at java.util.Date.getTimeImpl(Date.java:871)
     at java.util.Date.<init>(Date.java:237)
     at java.sql.Time.<init>(Time.java:40)
     at oracle.sql.DATE.toTime(DATE.java:319)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.Date.convertToJdbc(Date.java:540)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.Date.toString(Date.java:656)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.TypeConvMapEntry.getStringVal(TypeConvMapEntry.java:157)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.TypeConvMapEntry.convert(TypeConvMapEntry.java:102)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.TypeFactory.get(TypeFactory.java:855)
     at oracle.jbo.domain.TypeFactory.getInstance(TypeFactory.java:102)
     at oracle.jbo.RowComparator.compareValues(RowComparator.java:68)
     at oracle.jbo.RowComparator.compareValues(RowComparator.java:72)
     at oracle.jbo.RowComparator.compareValues(RowComparator.java:72)
Question:
1. There is no consistency in generation of ViewAttributes entry. For example, while creating new Date attribute, if you browse and select oracle.jbo.domain.date type, xml entries of ViewAttribute will be generated with ColumnType="BIGINT" SQLType="NUMERIC". But, instead of browse button, if you select the attribute type from the Type dropdown itself, entries will be like ColumnType="VARCHAR2" and SQLType="VARCHAR". Why this inconsistency in generation of entries?
2. Though the view object is programmatic, does the ColumnType and SQLType entry somehow related/needed with/for filter criteria? I could understand from the clause for cache that based on SQLType only, it got generated)
[NOTE: I came acorss this issue while testing. In the view object creation wizard, adding a new attribute with oracle.jbo.domain.data type, and attempt to click on the Next button leads to Null pointer exception. Details are given below]
ava.lang.NullPointerException
     at oracle.jbo.dt.objects.JboViewAttr.setColumnType(JboViewAttr.java:1234)
     at oracle.jbo.dt.objects.JboAttribute.setColumnType(JboAttribute.java:1375)
     at oracle.jbo.dt.objects.JboAttribute.setColumnType(JboAttribute.java:1366)
     at oracle.jbo.dt.ui.view.VOAttributePanel.actionPerformed(VOAttributePanel.java:1482)Thanks in Advance
Raguraman

Answer 1

The oracle.jbo.domain.Date class accepts dates and times in the same format accepted by java.sql.TimeStamp (either a long milliseconds time value or the year, month, day, hour, minute, second, nano format) and java.sql.Date (either a milliseconds time value or the year, month, day format).
The doc reference
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B14099_19/web.1012/b14023/oracle/jbo/domain/Date.html
So you basically will loose precision in nanoseconds