Question

Problem with converting Data from Text to Numeric or Date in SQL

Asked by: Wildone63

I have a csv file that is not formatted exactly the same every time.  So... in order to get the csv file into sql, I made a table with all Text columns and then import the file. My issue is that I have several fields that are dates, and since they are in SQL as text and not as Dates I can not run a query that involves dates.

How can I convert these on the fly for comparison.

Here is some sample data and my sql query at the bottom...
Thanks

125635/  JL/JL      963499709701      0034.61      34.0      1      11/03/2009      11/02/2009      4576
125719  DA/DA      963499710267      0026.51      22.0      1      11/04/2009      11/03/2009      4632
125809 JL/JL      963499710820      0011.25      05.0      1      11/05/2009      11/04/2009      4688
125729 DA/DA      963499710278      0028.52      22.0      1      11/04/2009      11/03/2009      4633
125775/  JL/JL      963499710289      0018.72      10.0      1      11/04/2009      11/03/2009      4634
125742/  DA/DA      963499710290      0027.38      22.0      1      11/04/2009      11/03/2009      4635
124328/C/DA      963499710304      0010.69      14.0      1      11/06/2009      11/03/2009      4636


select
ref as 'Reference',
case when patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', ref) <> 0
      then cast(substring(ref, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', ref), 6) as int)
      else 0 end as 'SalesOrder #',
case when patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', tracking) <> 0
      then cast(substring(tracking, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', tracking), 12) as bigint)
      else cast(substring(totalcustomercharge, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', totalcustomercharge), 12) as bigint) end as 'Tracking #',
shipmentdate
from fedex
where shipmentdate = '11/02/2009'

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Asked On
2009-11-05 at 10:36:29ID24875502
Topics

MS SQL Server

,

SQL Server 2005

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: aneeshattingalPosted on 2009-11-05 at 10:47:20ID: 25752543

where CONVERT(datetime, shipmentdate,101) = '11/02/2009'

 

by: salterclanPosted on 2009-11-05 at 10:48:06ID: 25752548

Here is what you would use inline in your code.

SELECT [Date] = CAST (@DateValue AS datetime)

 

by: Wildone63Posted on 2009-11-05 at 10:48:22ID: 25752553

Sorry that does not work.

Explicit conversion from data type text to datetime is not allowed.

 

by: salterclanPosted on 2009-11-05 at 10:49:55ID: 25752572

Here is a link to a page of useful conversions as well.
http://www.sqlusa.com/bestpractices/datetimeconversion/

 

by: Wildone63Posted on 2009-11-05 at 10:51:24ID: 25752592

Yes that is a Great page, but how do I convert or whatever from text to a date time.

 

by: salterclanPosted on 2009-11-05 at 10:56:32ID: 25752655

Are you running this against just the data above or a larger set of data?  If it's just the data above it should work.  If you have other rows and some of the data in some of the "date" rows are not formatted the same then you will get the error "Explicit conversion from data type text to datetime is not allowed."  In other words if one row had $1/2/2008 and you told it to convert to a date it wouldn't know what to do and error out.  

 

by: Wildone63Posted on 2009-11-05 at 11:23:26ID: 25752931

Well I changed my columns to varchar(Max) and now my query works even if the data is not formatted properly.

select
ref as 'Reference',
case when patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', ref) <> 0
      then cast(substring(ref, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', ref), 6) as int)
      else 0 end as 'SalesOrder #',
case when patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', tracking) <> 0
      then cast(substring(tracking, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', tracking), 12) as bigint)
      else cast(substring(totalcustomercharge, patindex('%[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]%', totalcustomercharge), 12) as bigint) end as 'Tracking #',
shipmentdate
from fedex
where shipmentdate = '11/02/2009'


Thank you for your assistance.

Jeff

 

by: Wildone63Posted on 2009-11-05 at 11:24:14ID: 31650642

The lesson learned here is don't use a Text Data type. Use varchar(Max) instead.

Thanks

 

by: salterclanPosted on 2009-11-05 at 11:55:50ID: 25753246

Good point.  I only ever use "Text" unless I am copying something large.  For instance, I have an online LMS that captures student essays so I capture them in a text field.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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