storing date and time value through SQL LOADER

To store date and time values using SQL Loader, you need to properly format the input data in your data file (usually a flat file) and define the appropriate date format in the control file used by SQL Loader. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

Step 1: Prepare the Data File Create a data file (e.g., data.txt) containing the data you want to load. Make sure the date and time values are formatted correctly, following the format expected by the Oracle database.

For example, if your date and time values are in the format "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS", your data file might look like this:

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John Doe|1985-07-15 14:30:00
Jane Smith|1990-12-01 09:45:00

Step 2: Create the Control File Create a control file (e.g., control.ctl) that specifies how SQL Loader should handle the data and map it to the database columns. In the control file, you need to define the date format using the DATE_FORMAT clause.

Here's an example of a control file for the data file format mentioned above:

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LOAD DATA
INFILE 'data.txt'
INTO TABLE your_table_name
FIELDS TERMINATED BY '|' TRAILING NULLCOLS
(
  name,
  dob TIMESTAMP "YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS"
)

In this example, your_table_name should be replaced with the actual name of the table where you want to load the data. The dob column is the one that will store the date and time values.

Step 3: Run SQL Loader Open a command prompt or terminal and run SQL Loader, providing the database connection information and specifying the control file:

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sqlldr username/password@database control=control.ctl

Replace username, password, and database with your actual database credentials and connection information.

SQL Loader will read the data from the data file, convert the date and time values according to the specified format, and load the data into the target table.

Note: The date format in the control file should match the date format used in the data file. Also, ensure that the target column's data type in the database matches the data type you are trying to load (in this case, a TIMESTAMP type for the dob column).

Always backup your data and test with a small dataset before running SQL Loader on a production system to avoid any data loss or integrity issues.