to_char() Question - Mailing list pgsql-general

From Terry Lee Tucker
Subject to_char() Question
Date
Msg-id 200512131105.11235.terry@esc1.com
Whole thread Raw
Responses Re: to_char() Question
List pgsql-general
Greetings List:

I am using to_char to format numeric data into a string that is ultimately
displayed in an XmText widget. Much of the numeric data is always going to be
positive. In some of the windows that display this data, space is at a
premium. Basically, I need to display something like 1,029 in an XmText
widget that is exactly 5 characters wide. In a select statement like:
SELECT to_char (1029, '9,999'), to_char always puts one extra space in the
leftmost position for a numeric sign. What I get is: ' 1,029', which causes
me to have to have the XmText widget 6 characters wide as opposed to 5. This
is becoming a problem on several of the application windows where, as I said
earlier, space is at a premium. The only way that I've been able to suppress
the extra space is by the following: SELECT to_char (1029, 'FM9,999'). What I
get then is a string that is not right justified and I want the numbers to be
right justified. Now, finally, the question: Is there a way to suppress the
extra space for the sign?

TIA
rnd=# select version();
                                                   version
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PostgreSQL 7.4.6 on i686-redhat-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc (GCC) 3.2.3
20030502 (Red Hat Linux 3.2.3-49)
(1 row)

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