SQL error handling when converting character to numeric

We receive a file from a third party that we upload to our system and then process. One of the fields in the uploaded file is defined as character and it contains values like this '9999999X1'. We process this data with a single SQL statement to select data and then insert it into another file. We expect those first 7 characters to be numeric and try to convert them to an integer in the SQL statement. However, sometimes the data wasn't setup correctly on the source system and those first 7 characters are not numeric. Therefore, the entire batch of data is not processed. I would like the rest of the valid data to be processed like normal and skip the bad record. We do attempt to weed out some of the bad data by selecting where field1 > '1000000 '. The case that tripped us up this last time was where the field contained '999999X1'. The number was one digit short. Another thing to note is that this SQL statement is being executed in a CL program using an SQL command that we created long before IBM came out with their RUNSQL command.

What I'm trying to find is a way to identify the data that is bad before trying to process it. Is there an SQL function that could test a field if it is numeric? In this case, I would use a substring to test the first 7 characters. Either that or is there an "on error" clause at the field level? I suppose I could write my own user defined function to do it, but it seems like this is something people would deal with quite often.

I do know that if I write an RPG program and process each record one at a time the conversion error could be handled appropriately. I'm just trying to see if it can be done using a couple SQL statements that process the entire file instead.


Dean Eshleman Software Development Architect

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