Re: get date in binary number format

Howdy:

I get this when I try the following select:

[snip]

testdb=> select "bit"((date_part('doy', now()))::integer);
ERROR: Function 'bit(int4)' does not exist
Unable to identify a function that satisfies the given
argument types
You may need to add explicit typecasts

[/snip]

Is there something that I should know about "bit"?
Is it a pre-defined function (system) or is this
something I don't have in my version of PostgreSQL?

Thanks all!

-X

-----Original Message-----
From: Alvaro Herrera [mailto:alvherre(at)atentus(dot)com]
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 11:50 AM
To: Johnson, Shaunn
Cc: pgsql-general(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] get date in binary number format

Johnson, Shaunn dijo:

> Howdy:
>
> Silly question time -
>
> Is there a way to get the date and change
> it into a binary number?

Well, you can get the day of the year in binary:

testing=> select "bit"((date_part('doy', now()))::integer);
bit
----------------------------------
00000000000000000000000100001101
(1 row)

> The algorithm to select backup number would be the
> smallest non-zero place in binary representation of
> the backup number (tape).

Recursive definition? Sorry, I don't understand the algorithm.

--
Alvaro Herrera (<alvherre[a]atentus.com>)
"Ni aun el genio muy grande llegaria muy lejos
si tuviera que sacarlo todo de su propio interior" (Goethe)