<tbody>

<row>

<entry><literal>9</literal></entry>

<entry>value with the specified number of digits</entry>

<entry>digit position (can be dropped if insignificant)</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>0</literal></entry>

<entry>value with leading zeros</entry>

<entry>digit position (will not be dropped, even if insignificant)</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>.</literal> (period)</entry>

<entry>decimal point</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>,</literal> (comma)</entry>

<entry>group (thousand) separator</entry>

<entry>group (thousands) separator</entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>PR</literal></entry>

Usage notes for numeric formatting:

<itemizedlist>

<listitem>

<para>

<literal>0</> specifies a digit position that will always be printed,

even if it contains a leading/trailing zero. <literal>9</> also

specifies a digit position, but if it is a leading zero then it will

be replaced by a space, while if it is a trailing zero and fill mode

is specified then it will be deleted. (For <function>to_number()</>,

these two pattern characters are equivalent.)

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

The pattern characters <literal>S</>, <literal>L</>, <literal>D</>,

and <literal>G</> represent the sign, currency symbol, decimal point,

and thousands separator characters defined by the current locale

(see <xref linkend="guc-lc-monetary">

and <xref linkend="guc-lc-numeric">). The pattern characters period

and comma represent those exact characters, with the meanings of

decimal point and thousands separator, regardless of locale.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

If no explicit provision is made for a sign

in <function>to_char()</>'s pattern, one column will be reserved for

the sign, and it will be anchored to (appear just left of) the

number. If <literal>S</> appears just left of some <literal>9</>'s,

it will likewise be anchored to the number.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

A sign formatted using <literal>SG</literal>, <literal>PL</literal>, or

<literal>MI</literal> is not anchored to

the number; for example,

<literal>to_char(-12, 'MI9999')</literal> produces <literal>'-&nbsp;&nbsp;12'</literal>

but <literal>to_char(-12, 'S9999')</literal> produces <literal>'&nbsp;&nbsp;-12'</literal>.

The Oracle implementation does not allow the use of

(The Oracle implementation does not allow the use of

<literal>MI</literal> before <literal>9</literal>, but rather

requires that <literal>9</literal> precede

<literal>MI</literal>.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

<literal>9</literal> results in a value with the same number of

digits as there are <literal>9</literal>s. If a digit is

not available it outputs a space.

<literal>MI</literal>.)

</para>

</listitem>

<para>

Certain modifiers can be applied to any template pattern to alter its

behavior. For example, <literal>FM9999</literal>

is the <literal>9999</literal> pattern with the

behavior. For example, <literal>FM99.99</literal>

is the <literal>99.99</literal> pattern with the

<literal>FM</literal> modifier.

<xref linkend="functions-formatting-numericmod-table"> shows the

modifier patterns for numeric formatting.

<tbody>

<row>

<entry><literal>FM</literal> prefix</entry>

<entry>fill mode (suppressleading zeroes and padding blanks)</entry>

<entry><literal>FM9999</literal></entry>

<entry>fill mode (suppresstrailing zeroes and padding blanks)</entry>

<entry><literal>FM99.99</literal></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>TH</literal> suffix</entry>

<entry><literal>to_char(-0.1, 'FM9.99')</literal></entry>

<entry><literal>'-.1'</literal></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>to_char(-0.1, 'FM90.99')</literal></entry>

<entry><literal>'-0.1'</literal></entry>

</row>

<row>

<entry><literal>to_char(0.1, '0.9')</literal></entry>

<entry><literal>'&nbsp;0.1'</literal></entry>