Which file format option specifies how times are parsed in the input data?

• A. DATE_FORMAT
• B. TIME_FORMAT
• C. TIME
• D. DATETIME_FORMAT

Answer: (B)

When loading data, the parser needs a pattern that tells it how to read the time portion of a value. The option that specifies how times are parsed is TIME_FORMAT. It defines the exact time pattern the input data uses (for example, 14:30:00 or 2:30 PM) so the loader can convert that string into an internal time value correctly. The other options serve different roles: DATE_FORMAT covers only the date part, DATETIME_FORMAT would relate to a date-and-time pattern, and TIME refers to the data type itself rather than how to parse a string. So TIME_FORMAT is the correct choice for parsing times in the input data.