Is there a workaround/better way to do this: I have a field (TEREMARKS) which

Question

0

Asked: June 10, 20262026-06-10T12:34:08+00:00 2026-06-10T12:34:08+00:00

Is there a workaround/better way to do this: I have a field (TEREMARKS) which

0

Is there a workaround/better way to do this:

I have a field (TEREMARKS) which contains a long string and out of that string I need to get the times and names that I can find in there. I extract the time and name when I encounter this format: TE=<HH:MM>(<NAME>)

My problem is sometimes the format is not followed by the encoder which would throw the ORA-01722. I would have wanted my program to skip the erroneous record and return the ones that are OK. Would that be possible? Here are the scripts:

Create table:

CREATE TABLE HPACC.TE_ENTRY
(
  TENUMBER    VARCHAR2(20 BYTE)                 NOT NULL,
  TEREMARKS   VARCHAR2(100 BYTE),
  TEUPDATEBY  VARCHAR2(15 BYTE),
  TETRXDT     DATE
);

Insert Data:

Insert into HPACC.TE_ENTRY (TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY, TETRXDT)
Values ('115118002', 'TE=10:03 CU ANTI SEIZZURE ', 'ME1', TO_DATE('08/24/2012 10:00:00', 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
Insert into HPACC.TE_ENTRY (TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY, TETRXDT)
Values ('1151180025 ', 'TE= 10:19 ON AND OFF FEVER', 'ME2', TO_DATE('08/24/2012 10:01:00', 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
Insert into HPACC.TE_ENTRY (TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY, TETRXDT)
Values ('1153053592', 'TE=10:40(DIANE)   PRE''EMP', 'ME1', TO_DATE('08/24/2012 10:05:00', 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
Insert into HPACC.TE_ENTRY (TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY, TETRXDT)
Values ('1157019820', 'TE=10:45(KRISTEN), CU,MONITORING,RASHE,FEVER LAST MONDAY  ', 'ME1', TO_DATE('08/24/2012 10:12:00', 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));
Insert into HPACC.TE_ENTRY (TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY, TETRXDT)
Values ('1157019832', 'TE=11-:13 PRE EMP EXTRACTED BY:CAMILLA', 'ME3', TO_DATE('08/24/2012 10:15:00', 'MM/DD/YYYY HH24:MI:SS'));

My Query:

SELECT TO_CHAR(DECODE(ORIGTIME, '1', '13','2', '14','3', '15','4', '16',ORIGTIME),'FM00') ATIME
      , DONEBY
      , COUNT(TENUMBER) AS CTOTAL 
FROM ( 
SELECT TENUMBER
        , (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,1) <> 0) 
                  AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,1)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,1)),':',1,1))-4)
   , ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS  NULL) 
     THEN TO_NUMBER(REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,1)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,1)),':',1,1))-4)),'FM99'),'-')) 
   ELSE 0 END) AS ORIGTIME
 , (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,1) <> 0) 
    AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,1)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,1)+1),')',1,1))-1), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
   THEN SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,1)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,1)+1),')',1,1))-1) 
  ELSE TEUPDATEBY END) AS DONEBY 
FROM HPACC.TE_ENTRY 
  Where TETRXDT BETWEEN TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AND TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') 
GROUP BY TENUMBER, TEREMARKS, TEUPDATEBY 
UNION
SELECT TENUMBER
    , (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,2) <> 0) 
     AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,2)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,2)),':',1,1))-4), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
      THEN TO_NUMBER(REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,2)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,2)),':',1,1))-4)),'FM99'),'-'))
   ELSE 0 END) AS ORIGTIME
 ,  (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,2) <> 0) 
     AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,2)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,2)+1),')',1,1))-1), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
 THEN SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,2)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,2)+1),')',1,1))-1) 
Else 'NONE' END) AS DONEBY 
FROM HPACC.TE_ENTRY 
Where TETRXDT BETWEEN TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AND TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') 
GROUP BY TENUMBER, TEREMARKS 
UNION  
SELECT TENUMBER
     , (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,3) <> 0)
 AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,3)+3, (INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,3)),':',1,1))-4), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
THEN TO_NUMBER(REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,3)+3, (INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,3)),':',1,1))-4)),'FM99'),'-')) 
ELSE 0 END) AS ORIGTIME
, (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,3) <> 0) 
  AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,3)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,3)+1),')',1,1))-1), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
THEN SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,3)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,3)+1),')',1,1))-1) 
Else 'NONE' END) AS DONEBY 
FROM HPACC.TE_ENTRY 
Where TETRXDT BETWEEN TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AND TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') GROUP BY TENUMBER, TEREMARKS 
UNION 
SELECT TENUMBER
 , (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,4) <> 0) 
 AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,4)+3, (INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,4)),':',1,1))-4), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
 THEN TO_NUMBER(REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,4)+3, (INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,4)),':',1,1))-4)),'FM99'),'-')) 
ELSE 0 END) AS ORIGTIME, 
(CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,4) <> 0)
 AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,4)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,4)+1),')',1,1))-1), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
 THEN SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,4)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,4)+1),')',1,1))-1) 
Else 'NONE' END) AS DONEBY 
FROM HPACC.TE_ENTRY
Where TETRXDT BETWEEN TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AND TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')
GROUP BY TENUMBER, TEREMARKS 
UNION 
SELECT TENUMBER
, (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,5) <> 0) 
AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,5)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,5)),':',1,1))-4), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
 THEN TO_NUMBER(REPLACE(TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,5)+3,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'TE=',1,5)),':',1,1))-4)),'FM99'),'-'))
 ELSE 0 END) AS ORIGTIME
, (CASE WHEN (INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,5) <> 0) AND (LENGTH(TRIM(TRANSLATE(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,5)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,5)+1),')',1,1))-1), ' +-.0123456789', ' '))) IS NULL) 
THEN 
 SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,5)+1,(INSTR(SUBSTR(TEREMARKS,INSTR(UPPER(TEREMARKS),'(',1,5)+1),')',1,1))-1) 
   Else 'NONE' END) AS DONEBY
FROM HPACC.TE_ENTRY Where TETRXDT BETWEEN TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:00:00','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') AND TO_DATE('08-24-2012 10:59:59','MM-DD-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') 
GROUP BY TENUMBER, TEREMARKS
) 
Where ORIGTIME <> 0 
Group By ORIGTIME, DONEBY 
Order By TO_CHAR(TO_NUMBER(ATIME),'FM00') , DONEBY;

The last record (10:15) causes the error. How to bypass that one?
I also feel like my script is too verbose. Would appreciate your corrections, suggestions and examples. Thanks!

Report

Leave an answer
Cancel reply

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

Editorial Team · Answer 1 · 2026-06-10T12:34:09+00:00

As Alex commented this is obviously a task for regular expressions.

Here’s one that will work with your current data.

select regexp_substr( teremarks
                   , '^TE=[[:space:]]?[[:digit:]]{2}[[:print:]]?:[[:digit:]]{2}')
     , regexp_substr( teremarks
                   , '([(][[:alpha:]]+[)]|:[[:alpha:]]+$)')
from te_entry

This matches, from the beginning of the string, TE, followed by an =, then an optional space, two numbers an optional character, : then another two numbers.

The seconds matches either ( followed by any number of letters followed by ), or : followed by any number of letters at the end of the line.

Or, to get out just the time and name, removing all the extra stuff:

with matched as (
 select regexp_substr( teremarks
                    , '^TE=[[:space:]]?[[:digit:]]{2}[[:print:]]?:[[:digit:]]{2}'
                       ) as time
      , regexp_substr( teremarks
                    , '([(][[:alpha:]]+[)]|:[[:alpha:]]+$)'
                        ) as name
   from te_entry
        )
select regexp_replace( time
                    , '[^([:digit:]|:)]')
     , regexp_replace( name
                    , '[^[:alpha:]]')
from matched

Here’s a SQL Fiddle to demonstrate. Please also note that regular expressions are only available in Oracle 10g or later.

I would just like to emphasise that while this will work on your current data it does not mean that it will work forever. There will always be more cases that you hadn’t thought of. If the results of this query are important you should change your table to include a column that has the date (not time) the measurements were taken and another column that has the name of the person taking it.

This is the only way you can be certain that your data is correct.

Sign Up

Sign In

Forgot Password

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Is there a workaround/better way to do this: I have a field (TEREMARKS) which

Leave an answerCancel reply

1 Answer

Leave an answer
Cancel reply