:-) I don't do it myself. I wrote it into the program that our clients are
using.

The only place where the fields need to be CHAR is in the import table.

In other words, you have the external file, an import table, and the table
that your clients are using.

The program moves the external file data into the import table. In the
import table, all fields are CHAR

Then the data is moved to the production table, casting the values in the
correct data types as you go.

It is possible to do this so that there is no input from the user at all.
(I know, that's how my program works)

Regards

Tim