to_char(interval)

There is no to_char function available for intervals.

Or at least it does not work as expected

SQL> select to_char(interval '1234' second, 'HH24:MM') from dual;
TO_CHAR(INTERVAL'12
-------------------
+00 00:20:34.000000


I just write my own one, with some new format elements

For interval day to second, I have DDD number of days, HH number of hours (0-24), HHH total number of hours (0-99999999999999), etc

here it is


SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Thu Feb 9 17:15:59 2006

Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.


Connected to:
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP and Data Mining options



SQL>
SQL> create or replace function tochards(f_int interval day to second,f_fmt varchar2) return varchar2 is
2 -- valid formats are DDD, HHH, HH, MMM, MM, SSS, SS, FF
3 ret varchar2(4000);
4 f varchar2(4000);
5 i interval day(9) to second(9);
6 begin
7 if (f_fmt is null or f_int is null) then
8 return null;
9 end if;
10 f := upper(f_fmt);
11 if (translate(f,'XDHMSF,.:;/- ','X') is not null) then
12 raise_application_error(-20001,'Invalid format');
13 end if;
14 if (extract(day from i)<0) then
15 ret:='-';
16 i:=f_int*(-1);
17 else
18 ret:='';
19 i:=f_int;
20 end if;
21 while (f is not null) loop
22 if (f like 'DDD%') then
23 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(day from i),'FM999999999999999999');
24 f:=substr(f,4);
25 elsif (f like 'HHH%') then
26 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(day from i)*24+extract(hour from i),'FM999999999999999999');
27 f:=substr(f,4);
28 elsif (f like 'HH%') then
29 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(hour from i),'FM999999999999999999');
30 f:=substr(f,3);
31 elsif (f like 'MMM%') then
32 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(day from i)*24*60+extract(hour from i)*60+extract(minute from i),'FM999999999999999999');
33 f:=substr(f,4);
34 elsif (f like 'MM%') then
35 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(minute from i),'FM999999999999999999');
36 f:=substr(f,3);
37 elsif (f like 'SSS%') then
38 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(day from i)*24*60*60+extract(hour from i)*60*60+extract(minute from i)*60+trunc(extract(second from i)),'FM999999999999999999');
39 f:=substr(f,4);
40 elsif (f like 'SS%') then
41 ret:=ret||to_char(trunc(extract(second from i)),'FM999999999999999999');
42 f:=substr(f,3);
43 elsif (f like 'FF%') then
44 ret:=ret||to_char(mod(extract(second from i),1),'FM999999999999999999');
45 f:=substr(f,3);
46 elsif (substr(f,1,1) in (' ', '-', ':', ';', ',', '.', '/')) then
47 ret:=ret||substr(f,1,1);
48 f:=substr(f,2);
49 else
50 raise_application_error(-20001,'Invalid format : '||f_fmt);
51 end if;
52 end loop;
53 return ret;
54 end;
55 /

Function created.

SQL>
SQL> sho err
No errors.
SQL>
SQL> create or replace function tocharym(f_int interval year to month,f_fmt varchar2) return varchar2 is
2 -- valid formats are YYY, MMM, MM
3 ret varchar2(4000);
4 f varchar2(4000);
5 i interval year to month;
6 begin
7 if (f_fmt is null or f_int is null) then
8 return null;
9 end if;
10 f := upper(f_fmt);
11 if (translate(f,'XYM,.:;/- ','X') is not null) then
12 raise_application_error(-20001,'Invalid format');
13 end if;
14 if (extract(year from i)<0) then
15 ret:='-';
16 i:=f_int*(-1);
17 else
18 ret:='';
19 i:=f_int;
20 end if;
21 while (f is not null) loop
22 if (f like 'YYY%') then
23 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(year from i),'FM999999999999999999');
24 f:=substr(f,4);
25 elsif (f like 'MMM%') then
26 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(year from i)*12+extract(month from i),'FM999999999999999999');
27 f:=substr(f,4);
28 elsif (f like 'MM%') then
29 ret:=ret||to_char(extract(month from i),'FM999999999999999999');
30 f:=substr(f,3);
31 elsif (substr(f,1,1) in (' ', '-', ':', ';', ',', '.', '/')) then
32 ret:=ret||substr(f,1,1);
33 f:=substr(f,2);
34 else
35 raise_application_error(-20001,'Invalid format : '||f_fmt);
36 end if;
37 end loop;
38 return ret;
39 end;
40 /

Function created.

SQL>
SQL> sho err
No errors.
SQL>
SQL> select tochards(current_timestamp - timestamp '2000-01-01 00:00:00', 'HHH:MM') from dual;

TOCHARDS(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP-TIM
------------------------------
53561:15

SQL> select tochards(current_timestamp - timestamp '2000-01-01 00:00:00', 'DDD HH:MM:SS') from dual;

TOCHARDS(CURRENT_TIMESTAMP-TIM
------------------------------
2231 17:15:59

SQL> select tocharym(interval '25' month, 'YYY:MM') from dual;

TOCHARYM(INTERVAL'25'MONTH,'YY
------------------------------
2:1

SQL> select tocharym(interval '-25' month, 'MMM') from dual;

TOCHARYM(INTERVAL'-25'MONTH,'M
------------------------------
-25

SQL> Disconnected from Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP and Data Mining options