Re: Problem with the to_timestamp function - Mailing list pgsql-sql

Tom Lane wrote:
> Luca Clementi <lclement@ucsd.edu> writes:
>> I found the problem!!
>> to_timestamp(start_time, 'M DD, YYYY  HH12:MI:SS')
>> in the formatting string I have two spaces, while in the original there 
>> is only one:
>> 1 28, 2008 12:23:19 �後
>> So if I use: 'M DD, YYYY HH12:MI:SS' as a formatting string it works!
>> I wander how come if the formatting string doesn't match properly you 
>> get such a bad behavior, would it better just a error?
> 
> Yeah, it should either do something reasonable or throw an error.
> Improving to_timestamp's handling of such cases is on the TODO list.
> In the meantime, though, the standard input converter is a whole lot
> more flexible for slightly-out-of-spec input ... so I ask again,
> do you really need to_timestamp at all?

What do you mean with th standard input converter, you mean casting that 
string into a date with the default locate format. This won't work, 
because the machine where the DB is running is set to en.US, so it won't 
be able to parse that date. That's why I am using the to_timestamp.

I am doning some data clean up in my DB.

Thanks again for your help,
Luca