Re: date mask in SQL*Loader

On Feb 10, 11:00pm, "Patrice Borne" <patborne_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> I am afraid we don't talk about the same thing here. Your example is
> about UI processing and data validation in one field in one form.
> ...
> In the back end processing, we are talking about validating
> potentially hundreds or thousands of data fields

I reviewed the original post. Tim (webguy01) inquired not about hundreds of fields, but only as to a single date field, and specifically with respect to data that are quite valid, except for a formatting convention. I.e., the data is "good" just needs to be converted.

Among the responses, was the ill-heeded advice to reject that data (just as my credit-card number colleague did), even as the data are readily converted to valid values.

I doubt Tim will go that route, but on the off chance it was going to be considered, wanted to join the chorus of "just deal with it." The analogy of my anecdote, and the implicit advice, seems apt.

> In the back end, you are totally on your own and you must run the full
> tests/validations yourself, including referential integrity.

Tim's situation is a single date field; I don't see how referential integrity could be at issue (though non-nullness might well be).

--
John Hinsdale