SQL Error: ORA-01861: literal does not match format string 01861

Question

I am trying to insert data into an existing table and keep receiving an error.

INSERT INTO Patient  
(
  PatientNo,
  PatientFirstName,
  PatientLastName,
           


        

Answer 1

ORA-01861: literal does not match format string

This happens because you have tried to enter a literal with a format string, but the length of the format string was not the same length as the literal.

You can overcome this issue by carrying out following alteration.

TO_DATE('1989-12-09','YYYY-MM-DD')

As a general rule, if you are using the TO_DATE function, TO_TIMESTAMP function, TO_CHAR function, and similar functions, make sure that the literal that you provide matches the format string that you've specified