> when comparing timestamps i always get > ERROR: Bad timestamp external representation 'm' > this works: > select timestamp (content) from factversionelement where factid=100311 and >elementname='newsdate'; > ------------------------ > 2010-01-02 16:00:00+01 > this does not: > select factid from factversionelement where factid=100311 and elementname='newsdate' >and timestamp (content) >= '2001-08-08'; > ERROR: Bad timestamp external representation 'm' In the first case, you are evaluating the timestamp only after the "where qualifications" are met, so this is done on one row. In the second case, the optimizer is probably having you evaluate timestamp(content) ON ALL ROWS as the first pass. At least one of those rows has a value which is incompatible with timestamp data. Please state the schema of the factversionelement table. I will bet that the "content" column is not in fact a timestamp type (it is some sort of string type??), and does not contain strings which are entirely legal as timestamps. - Thomas ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to [EMAIL PROTECTED]