SQL & PL/SQL

hi,

I would like to remove hyphens from a string. It must be stand only one hyphen between the words:

new: ’18-July-2006,-Mr.-Jeorge-Baker-'
old: '18---July---------------2006,----Mr.-----Jeorge--Baker---- '

I wrote a script:

declare
v_sign varchar2(1);
v_next_sign varchar2(1);
v_string varchar2(50):= '18---July---------------2006,----Mr.-----Jeorge--Baker---- ';
v stringnew varchar2(50);


begin
FOR i IN 1..LENGTH(v_string)
LOOP
v_sign:= SUBSTR(v_string, i, 1);
v_next_sign:= SUBSTR(v_string, i+1, 1);

IF(v_sign = '-')
THEN
IF(v_sign = v_next_sign)
THEN
v_sign:= NULL;
END IF;
END IF;

v_string_new:= v_string_new||v_sign;
END LOOP;


DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE(1000000);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(v_string_new);
end;
/

SQL> @RemoveSpacesFromString_01.sql
18-July-2006,-Mr.-Jeorge-Baker-

PL/SQL-Prozedur wurde erfolgreich abgeschlossen.
SQL>


I need the following script in only one select-statement with replace,substr, etc. Does anybody have an idea? We are working with Oracle 9i.

regards,
tom