TO_DATE function in Oracle is the most useful as well as ‘annoying’ function.

TO_DATE function converts string into date data types.

Eg :-

select to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’) from dual;

returns  2016/11/13

Note that Oracle converts string ‘2016/11/13’into Date ‘2016/11/13’. Now this value can be inserted into a table having a column date data type.

Note :- Before doing any testing on date columns make sure the default date format settings

For example in my sqldeveloper tool, go to Tools–> Preferences –> Database –> NLS

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SQLDEVELOPER date format

Below sql should have returned 2016/11/13, but shows 13-NOV-16 which is in sqldeveloper nls date format. This is the most common mistake developers make.

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Alternatively you can use below sql also to change the date format.

alter session set nls_date_format = ‘dd-mon-yyyy’;

The above SQL can be used from SQLPLUS also.

If you do not want to change the nls settings, you can use TO_CHAR function also in required format, see below example.

select to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’yyyy/mm/dd’) from dual;

(TO_CHAR and TO_DATE)

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Important :-  Oracle stores date data type with time.

date_withtime

Below are the most used formats with TO_DATE

Format Description Example Value
AD AD or BC to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 AD’,’yyyy/mm/dd AD’),’AD’) AD
BC AD or BC to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 BC’,’yyyy/mm/dd AD’),’AD’) BC
D Day of week (1 7) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’D’) 1
DAY Name of day to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’DAY’) SUNDAY
DD Day of month (1 31) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’DD’) 13
DDD Day of year (1 366) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’DDD’) 318
DY Abbr name of day to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’DY’) SUN
HH Hour of day (1 12) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35′,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss’),’HH’) ‘01’
HH12 Hour of day (1 12) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 04:12:35 PM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss PM’),’HH12′) ‘04’
HH24 Hour of day (0 23) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 04:12:35 PM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss PM’),’HH24′) 16
IW Week of year to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’IW’) 45
J Julian day to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13′,’yyyy/mm/dd’),’J’) 2457706
MI Minute (0 59) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35′,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss’),’MI’) 12
MM Month (01 etc) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35′,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss’),’MM’) 11
MON Abbr month to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35′,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss’),’MON’) NOV
MONTH Name of month to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35′,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss’),’MONTH’) NOVEMBER
AM AM or PM to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’AM’) AM
PM AM or PM to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 PM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’AM’) PM
Q Quarter of year to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’Q’) 4
RRRR Round year to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’RRRR’) 2016
SS Second (0 59) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’SS’) 35
WW Week of year (1 53) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’WW’) 46
W Week of month (1 5) to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’W’) 2
YYYY Last 4 digit(s) of year to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’YYYY’) 2016
YY Last 2 digit(s) of year to_char(to_date(‘2016/11/13 01:12:35 AM’,’yyyy/mm/dd hh:mi:ss AM’),’YY’) ‘16’

Always check below before you start using TO_DATE function

  1. NLS_DATE_FORMAT ( SELECT sys_context (‘userenv’,’NLS_DATE_FORMAT’) FROM DUAL )

or

2. use TO_CHAR for formating

Also read TO_CHAR Function