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Thread: Bad timestamp external representation

Bad timestamp external representation

From
Francois Thomas
Date:
Hello everybody

I meet the "bad timestamp external representation" error, and I don't know
how to solve it. I tried, of course, to look for documentation myself, but I
feel lost with this... any help will be greatly appreciated.
I first met the problem with a view:

create view allprod as
(
SELECT equip,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM package
union
SELECT id,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM equip
union
SELECT equip_id,'',produit,'','' FROM cles
)
The view is created succesfully, but if I try a "select * from allprod", I
have the timestamp error.
"ech" is the timestamp field, it can be null in some rows. If I use it in
only one of the unions (instead of 2), the same problem occur. Of course, if
I create the view without the "ech" field, I can select or do what I want
without trouble.
I also found this: on a normal table with a timestamp field (called, say,
"tstamp"), I will get the error too with a query like "select * from
my_table where tstamp=''", and no error with "...where tstamp is null".
Well, it may be easy for advanced user, but not for me !
I use postgresql 7.1.3 on a Debian 2.2r3 system, with a "fr_FR" locale.
Thanks in advance

Francois Thomas

Re: Bad timestamp external representation

From
Jason Earl
Date:
You might try using NULL instead of '' when selecting
from cles.  I don't know if that is what the problem
is, but I do know that the timestamp type does not
like ''.

Jason


--- Francois Thomas <FrancoisT@alsdesign.fr> wrote:
>
> Hello everybody
>
> I meet the "bad timestamp external representation"
> error, and I don't know
> how to solve it. I tried, of course, to look for
> documentation myself, but I
> feel lost with this... any help will be greatly
> appreciated.
> I first met the problem with a view:
>
> create view allprod as
> (
> SELECT equip,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM package
>
> union
> SELECT id,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM equip
> union
> SELECT equip_id,'',produit,'','' FROM cles
> )
> The view is created succesfully, but if I try a
> "select * from allprod", I
> have the timestamp error.
> "ech" is the timestamp field, it can be null in some
> rows. If I use it in
> only one of the unions (instead of 2), the same
> problem occur. Of course, if
> I create the view without the "ech" field, I can
> select or do what I want
> without trouble.
> I also found this: on a normal table with a
> timestamp field (called, say,
> "tstamp"), I will get the error too with a query
> like "select * from
> my_table where tstamp=''", and no error with
> "...where tstamp is null".
> Well, it may be easy for advanced user, but not for
> me !
> I use postgresql 7.1.3 on a Debian 2.2r3 system,
> with a "fr_FR" locale.
> Thanks in advance
>
> Francois Thomas
>
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Re: Bad timestamp external representation

From
"Albert REINER"
Date:
Saluton,

On Wed, Aug 22, 2001 at 10:16:28AM +0200, Francois Thomas wrote:
>
> Hello everybody
>
> I meet the "bad timestamp external representation" error, and I don't know
...
> SELECT equip,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM package
> union
> SELECT id,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM equip
> union
> SELECT equip_id,'',produit,'','' FROM cles
                                ^^

This looks to me that you are trying to use '' as a
timestamp. Instead, you should provide a meaningful timestamp -
probably NULL ("don't know").

Albert.

RE: Bad timestamp external representation

From
Francois Thomas
Date:


> > I meet the "bad timestamp external representation" error,
> and I don't know
> ...
> > SELECT equip,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM package
> > union
> > SELECT id,produit,nserie,exserie,ech FROM equip
> > union
> > SELECT equip_id,'',produit,'','' FROM cles
>                                 ^^
>
> This looks to me that you are trying to use '' as a
> timestamp. Instead, you should provide a meaningful timestamp -
> probably NULL ("don't know").
>
> Albert.

Many thanks to all the persons who helped me with this issue !
The view is now working perfectly...
Salutations from France
François Thomas