problem in report with number and varchar2

[aj_usa]

hello,

I have several columns in a table with number datatype.for eg : select a||' '||b from tablename
However, when i concatenate some of the columns with number datatype
and use reports 6i, and when i click the properties of the field in the layout editor, the datatype is varchar2. why is this?

if i dont concatenate, then the property in layout editor for those are number.

what is the problem.

Thanks

[slimdave]

Concatanation is a string operation. In order to concatanate numbers Oracle must convert them to varchar2's first. the result of the concatanation is therefore a varchar2. you can wrap the result in a to_number() function to convert it back again.

By the way, what data are you storing as numbers and concatanating? It sounds like there may be some bad design practice going on -- concatanation is not a "natural" operation to apply to numbers

[aj_usa]

Actually, I am doing a report which is hard to expain here, the report output for the accounts department is such that i have to do all tricks.they need the result side by side on a paper,comparitive result of this week to previous week.
select
to_char(GROSREV,'$99999,9999,999.99'))||''||to_char(GROSREV1,'$99999,9999,999.99')
if i do this, in the reportdesigner,the property is varchar2.

how do i convert this to number, so that in the reportdesigner,it is number only,so that i can play with formats inside the designer.

thanks

[slimdave]

To do that, you would have to bring back the values individually, as numerics. It would probably be best to define the format as part of the select query, as you have done - you can't convert a series of number concatanated together with dollar signs and spaces back to a number.