ORA-01438: value larger than specified precision allows for this column

Question

We get sometimes the following error from our partner's database:

<i>ORA-01438: value larger than specified precision allows for this column</i>

The full response looks like the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1251"?>
<response>
  <status_code></status_code>
  <error_text>ORA-01438: value larger than specified precision allows for this column ORA-06512: at &quot;UMAIN.PAY_NET_V1_PKG&quot;, line 176 ORA-06512: at line 1</error_text>
  <pay_id>5592988</pay_id>
  <time_stamp></time_stamp>
</response>

What can be the cause for this error?

Answer 1

The number you are trying to store is too big for the field. Look at the SCALE and PRECISION. The difference between the two is the number of digits ahead of the decimal place that you can store.

select cast (10 as number(1,2)) from dual
             *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01438: value larger than specified precision allowed for this column

select cast (15.33 as number(3,2)) from dual
             *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01438: value larger than specified precision allowed for this column

Anything at the lower end gets truncated (silently)

select cast (5.33333333 as number(3,2)) from dual;
CAST(5.33333333ASNUMBER(3,2))
-----------------------------
                         5.33