1. SQL Language Reference
  2. Functions
  3. TO_DSINTERVAL

TO_DSINTERVAL

Syntax

Description of to_dsinterval.eps follows
Description of the illustration to_dsinterval.eps

sql_format::=

Description of sql_format.eps follows
Description of the illustration sql_format.eps

ds_iso_format::=

Description of ds_iso_format.eps follows
Description of the illustration ds_iso_format.eps

Note:

In earlier releases, the TO_DSINTERVAL function accepted an optional nlsparam clause. This clause is still accepted for backward compatibility, but has no effect.

Purpose

TO_DSINTERVAL converts its argument to a value of INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND data type.

For the argument, you can specify any expression that evaluates to a character string of CHAR, VARCHAR2, NCHAR, or NVARCHAR2 data type.

TO_DSINTERVAL accepts argument in one of the two formats:

  • SQL interval format compatible with the SQL standard (ISO/IEC 9075)

  • ISO duration format compatible with the ISO 8601:2004 standard

In the SQL format, days is an integer between 0 and 999999999, hours is an integer between 0 and 23, and minutes and seconds are integers between 0 and 59. frac_secs is the fractional part of seconds between .0 and .999999999. One or more blanks separate days from hours. Additional blanks are allowed between format elements.

In the ISO format, days, hours, minutes and seconds are integers between 0 and 999999999. frac_secs is the fractional part of seconds between .0 and .999999999. No blanks are allowed in the value. If you specify T, then you must specify at least one of the hours, minutes, or seconds values.

The optional DEFAULT return_value ON CONVERSION ERROR clause allows you to specify the value this function returns if an error occurs while converting the argument to an INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND type. This clause has no effect if an error occurs while evaluating the argument. The return_value can be an expression or a bind variable, and it must evaluate to a character string of CHAR, VARCHAR2, NCHAR, or NVARCHAR2 data type. It can be in either the SQL format or ISO format, and need not be in the same format as the function argument. If return_value cannot be converted to an INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND type, then the function returns an error.

Examples

The following example uses the SQL format to select from the hr.employees table the employees who had worked for the company for at least 100 days on November 1, 2002: 

SELECT employee_id, last_name FROM employees
   WHERE hire_date + TO_DSINTERVAL('100 00:00:00')
   <= DATE '2002-11-01'
   ORDER BY employee_id;

EMPLOYEE_ID LAST_NAME
----------- ---------------
        102 De Haan
        203 Mavris
        204 Baer
        205 Higgins
        206 Giet

The following example uses the ISO format to display the timestamp 100 days and 5 hours after the beginning of the year 2009:

SELECT TO_CHAR(TIMESTAMP '2009-01-01 00:00:00' + TO_DSINTERVAL('P100DT05H'),
   'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') "Time Stamp"
     FROM DUAL;

Time Stamp
-------------------
2009-04-11 05:00:00

The following example returns the default value because the specified expression cannot be converted to an INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND value: 

SELECT TO_DSINTERVAL('1o 1:02:10'
       DEFAULT '10 8:00:00' ON CONVERSION ERROR) "Value"
  FROM DUAL;

Value
-----------------------------
+000000010 08:00:00.000000000