It is possible to use the TO_CHAR operator to store formatted dates and numbers. For example:
field1 ... "TO_CHAR(:field1, '$09999.99')"
This example could store numeric input data in formatted form, where field1 is a character column in the database. This field would be stored with the formatting characters (dollar sign, period, and so on) already in place.
You have even more flexibility, however, if you store such values as numeric quantities or dates. You can then apply arithmetic functions to the values in the database, and still select formatted values for your reports.
An example of using the SQL string to load data from a formatted report is shown in case study 7, Extracting Data from a Formatted Report. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies.)