Alter Session

[jcs1953]

I have a website in asp.net that uses queries to pull data from MSSQL and Oracle 10g and combine the data into one table. What I am having trouble with is date formats. The date format has to be the same for both the data retrieved from Oracle and MSSQL. MSSQL returns the date as mm/dd/yyyy through the query. Oracle returns as dd-mon-rr. I can format the date in Oracle as a string in the proper order but then it's no longer a date. I happened upon the "alter session set nls_date_format = 'mm/dd/yyyy'" which seems to work. My questions are:
1. Is there any downside to doing this? I understand that this only stays modified as long as I am logged in and doesen't affect anyone else. I have a read only access to the database.
2 Can I combine an alter statement and a select statement? The reason I ask is that in my asp.net code the database connection is closed after each query.

 

[SantaMufasa]

JCS,

Your question 1: No downsides. Correct, such a change has no effect on anyone else.

Your question 2: You may certainly create consecutive statements: "ALTER SESSION..." then "SELECT...", but there is no syntax to combine the two into a single construct.

Let us know if you have follow-on questions.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]
“Beware of those that seek to protect you from harm or risk. The cost will be your freedoms and your liberty.”