CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_file_suffix (p_file IN VARCHAR2) RETURN varchar2
IS
  v_file_suffix VARCHAR2(5);
BEGIN
	BEGIN
/*
|| This Function returns a varchar2 string of the file suffix - any suffix length is returned, 
|| If no suffix exists then NULL is returned. 
||  Written by: Daniel Coe
||  Date: 10/09/2002
*/	
   	  v_file_suffix := substr(p_file,(instr(p_file,'.',-1,1)+1),length(p_file));

	 EXCEPTION
	  WHEN value_error THEN
	  	 v_file_suffix := NULL;
		 
	END;
		 
   RETURN v_file_suffix;
END;
/