Specifies what kinds of values Oracle Forms allows as input and how Oracle Forms displays those values.
Applies to check box, display item, list item, radio group, text item, custom item, form parameter
Note: All data types do not apply to each item type.
Set Oracle Forms
Contains any combination of letters (upper and/or lower case).
Default |
Blanks |
Example |
"Employee", "SMITH" |
CHAR
Supports VARCHAR2 up to 2000 characters. Contains any combination of the following characters:
Default |
Blanks |
Example |
"100 Main Street", "CHAR_EXAMPLE_2" |
DATE
Contains a valid date. You can display a DATE item in any other valid format by changing the item's format mask.
Default |
DD-MON-YY |
Restrictions |
Refers to a DATE column in the database and is processed as a true date, not a character string. |
The DATE data type contains a ZERO time component |
. |
Example |
01-JAN-92 |
DATETIME
Contains a valid date and time.
Default |
DD-MON-YY HH24:MI[:SS] |
Restrictions |
Refers to a DATE column in the database and is processed as a true date, not a character string. |
The DATETIME data type contains a four digit year. If the year input to a DATETIME data type is two digits, the year is interpreted as 00YY. | |
Example |
31-DEC-88 23:59:59 |
EDATE
Contains a valid European date.
Default |
DD/MM/YY |
Restrictions |
V3 data type. |
Must refer to a NUMBER column in the database. | |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the DATE data type. | |
Apply a format mask to produce the European date format. | |
Reference a DATE column in the database, rather than a NUMBER column. | |
Example |
23/10/92 (October 23, 1992) |
01/06/93 (June 1, 1993) |
INT
Contains any integer (signed or unsigned whole number).
Default |
0 |
Example |
1, 100, -1000 |
JDATE
Contains a valid Julian date.
Default |
MM/DD/YY |
Restrictions |
V3 data type. |
Must refer to a NUMBER column in the database. | |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the DATE data type. | |
Apply a format mask to produce the Julian date format. | |
Reference a DATE column in the database, rather than a NUMBER column. | |
Example |
10/23/92 (October 23, 1992) |
06/01/93 (June 1, 1993) |
LONG
Contains any combination of up to 65,534 characters. Stored in ORACLE as variable-length character strings.
Default |
Blanks |
Restrictions |
Not allowed as a reference in the WHERE or ORDER BY clauses of any SELECT statement. |
LONG items are not queryable in Enter Query mode. |
MONEY
Contains a signed or unsigned number to represent a sum of money.
Restrictions |
V3 data type |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, use a format mask with a number to produce the same result. | |
Example |
10.95, 0.99, -15.47 |
NUMBER
Contains fixed or floating point numbers, in the range of 1.0x10-129 to 9.99x10124, with one or more of the following characteristics:
NUMBER items refer to NUMBER columns in the database and Oracle Forms processes their values as true numbers (not character strings).
Default |
0 |
Restrictions |
Commas cannot be entered into a number item (e.g., 99,999). Use a format mask instead. |
Example |
-1, 1, 1.01, 10.001, 1.85E3 |
RINT
Displays integer values as right-justified.
Restrictions |
V3 data type |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the NUMBER data type. | |
Apply a format mask such as 999 to produce a right-justified number. |
RMONEY
Displays MONEY values as right-justified.
Restrictions |
V3 data type |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the NUMBER data type | |
Apply a format mask such as $999.99 to produce a right-justified number. |
RNUMBER
Displays NUMBER values as right-justified.
Restrictions |
V3 data type |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the NUMBER data type. | |
Apply a format mask such as 999.999 to produce a right-justified number. |
TIME
Contains numbers and colons that refer to NUMBER columns in the database.
Default |
HH24:MI[:SS] |
Restrictions |
V3 data type |
Included for backward compatibility. Instead, follow these recommendations: | |
Use the DATETIME data type. | |
Apply a format mask to produce only the time. | |
Not allowed as a reference to DATE columns in the database. | |
Example |
:10:23:05 |
21:07:13 |