Oracle & DB2 Datetime Format Converter

Q: What is the Oracle date format?

Oracle uses model elements: **`YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS`** (e.g. `2026-08-13 14:30:00`). `HH24` = 24-hour clock; without it Oracle assumes AM/PM.

Q: Why do I get ORA-01843: not a valid month?

The literal does not match the session **NLS_DATE_FORMAT** (e.g. passing `13/08/2026` when NLS expects `DD-MON-YY`). Always use an explicit `TO_DATE` format mask.

Q: What is the DB2 timestamp format?

DB2 accepts ISO 8601-like literals: **`2026-08-13-14.30.00.000000`** (dashes and dots) or `2026-08-13 14:30:00` in newer versions.

Oracle formats dates with model elements (`YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS`), DB2 with ISO patterns, and Teradata with its own `YYYY-MM-DDHH:MI:SS` literals. Each database interprets string literals by its NLS/dateformat settings, which is a leading source of "ORA-01843: not a valid month" style errors.

This converter renders your date-time as Oracle TIMESTAMP (with `TO_TIMESTAMP` model), Oracle ISO with timezone (`TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE`), and DB2/Teradata literal forms so your SQL strings match each engine.

Timezone:

Enter a date-time above to see the conversion results.

Oracle & DB2 Datetime Format Converter Quick Reference

Format	Pattern / Description	Example 1	Example 2
Oracle Date	DD-MON-YYYY	13-AUG-2026	01-JAN-2026
Oracle ISO/TZ	ISO with Offset	2026-08-13T14:30:00.000Z	2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
IBM DB2	yyyy-MM-dd-HH.mm.ss...	2026-08-13-14.30.00.000000	2026-01-01-00.00.00.000000
Teradata	yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss	2026-08-13 14:30:00	2026-01-01 00:00:00

* Examples are rendered in UTC for the fixed sample instants above.

When to Use Oracle & DB2 Datetime Format

Oracle SQL literals

Generate `TO_DATE('2026-08-13 14:30:00', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS')` strings that survive any NLS session setting.

DB2 & Teradata queries

Produce engine-correct literal formats for WHERE clauses and INSERT statements without guessing the dateformat.

ETL between databases

When moving timestamps between Oracle, DB2 and Teradata, generate the canonical literal for each target.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Oracle date format?

Oracle uses model elements: `YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS` (e.g. `2026-08-13 14:30:00`). `HH24` = 24-hour clock; without it Oracle assumes AM/PM.

What is Oracle TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE?

`TIMESTAMP(6) WITH TIME ZONE` stores the offset explicitly: `2026-08-13 14:30:00 +00:00` or with a region name. It is the Oracle type for absolute instants.

Why do I get ORA-01843: not a valid month?

The literal does not match the session NLS_DATE_FORMAT (e.g. passing `13/08/2026` when NLS expects `DD-MON-YY`). Always use an explicit `TO_DATE` format mask.

What is the DB2 timestamp format?

DB2 accepts ISO 8601-like literals: `2026-08-13-14.30.00.000000` (dashes and dots) or `2026-08-13 14:30:00` in newer versions.

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