SQL*Loader Raising Non-Numeric Error (when it shouldn't).

[OzWolf]

I need help on an issue I have encountered with SQL*Loader.

It spits out the following error:

Record 25976: Rejected - Error on table TASINET_INBOUND_TEMP.
ORA-01858: a non-numeric character was found where a numeric was expected

After much investigation with the record, I discovered the following:

Field 6 is the numeric field that is causing the problem. The record in the file has the value of 1113. If I change it manually to 111 (or any number < 900), the error does not appear. Change it back, and the error appears.

I realised I hadn't undersized the data type because the 15 records before this one, another record had a value of 1187 for the same position.

Does anybody have ANY idea on why it is spitting out this error?

 

[OzWolf]

Hmmm...it appears the error was the DIRECT=true flag set for the SQL*Loader. I removed that and the error disappeared.

Provides a fix, doesn't provide a reason though.