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SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE System Variable

Syntax

SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE

Description

SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE represents the effective database date. The variable value must always be in the following format:

DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS

Default

RDBMS date

Usage Notes

This system variable is convenient for testing. Since you can use it to set a specific time, the time on the screen during an application would not cause subsequent test results to appear different than the known valid output.

SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE Restrictions

This variable is only valid when the database contains a definition of the DUAL table.

SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE Examples

Assume you have set a DATE or TIME text item to one of the three system variables $$DBDATE$$, $$DBDATETIME$$, or $$DBTIME$$. To override that date or time, set the SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE system variable to a specific date and/or time.

:System.Effective_Date := '31-DEC-1997 10:59:00'

Note that the effective date "rolls forward" with the database clock. For example, if you were to set the date as in the immediately preceding example, in an hour, the date would appear as follows:

31-DEC-1997 11:59:00

The value is synchronized to the RDBMS date. If your database administrator changes the RDBMS date, the SYSTEM.EFFECTIVE_DATE is automatically changed by the same amount of change between old and new RDBMS dates. Oracle Forms polls the RDBMS whenever a reference to the effective date is required by the application.