c(expr [, len])

any

c

Converts argument to c string. If you specify the optional length argument, the function returns the leftmost len characters. Len must be a positive integer value that does not exceed the length of the expr string.

char(expr [, len])

any

char

Converts argument to char string. If you specify the optional length argument, the function returns the leftmost len characters. Len must be a positive integer value that does not exceed the length of the expr string.

date(expr)

c, text, char, varchar

date

Converts a c, char, varchar or text string to internal date representation.

dow(expr)

date

c

Converts an absolute date into its day of week (for example, "Mon," "Tue"). The result length is 3.

float4(expr)

c, char, varchar, text, float, money, and the integer data types

float4

Converts the specified expression to float4.

float8(expr)

c, char, varchar, text, float, money, and the integer data types

float

Converts the specified expression to float.

hex(expr)

varchar, char, c, text

varchar

Returns the hexadecimal representation of the argument string. The length of the result is twice the length of the argument, because the hexadecimal equivalent of each character requires two bytes. For example, hex("A") returns "61" (ASCII) or "C1" (EBCDIC).

int1(expr)

c, char, varchar, text, float, money, and the integer data types

i1

Converts the specified expression to i1. Floating point values are truncated. Numeric overflow occurs if the integer portion of a floating point value is too large to be returned in the requested format.

int2(expr)

c, char, varchar, text, float, money, and the integer data types

i2

Converts the specified expression to i2. Floating point values are truncated. Numeric overflow occurs if the integer portion of a floating point value is too large to be returned in the requested format.

int4(expr)

c, char, varchar, text, float, money, and the integer data types

i4

Converts the specified expression to i4. Floating point values are truncated. Numeric overflow occurs if the integer portion of a floating point value is too large to be returned in the requested format.

money(expr)

c, char,
varchar,
text,
float,
and the integer data types

money

Converts the specified expression to internal money representation. Rounds floating point values, if necessary.

text(expr [, len])

any

text

Converts argument to text string. If you specify the optional length argument, the function returns the leftmost len characters. Len must be a positive integer value that does not exceed the length of the expr string.

varchar(expr [, len])

any

varchar

Converts argument to varchar string. If you specify the optional length argument, the function returns the leftmost len characters. Len must be a positive integer value that does not exceed the length of the expr string.

c

Length of operand

char

Length of operand

date

25 characters

float & float4

11 characters; 12 characters on IEEE computers

integer1 (smallint)

6 characters

integer

6 characters

integer4

13 characters

long varchar

Length of operand

money

20 characters

text

Length of operand

varchar

Length of operand