text: 
    CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION "IS_NUMBER" (inStr varchar2 )
  return integer
  -- Test to see if a provided string is a number.
  --
  -- Example of use: 
  -- to find all non-numeric attribute values of some type:
  -- select attribute_value,is_number(attribute_value) 
  -- from attributes 
  -- where attribute_type='numeric age'
  --   and is_number(attribute_value) = 0
  --
  -- @param inStr string to check.
  -- @return 1 if provided string is a number, otherwise 0.
  
  IS
  n number;
  BEGIN
  n := to_number(inStr);
  RETURN 1;
  EXCEPTION
  WHEN OTHERS THEN
  RETURN 0;
  END;