SQL Date and Time Functions.

SQL built-in Date and Time functions

Summary

  • Date and Time functions perform manipulation of dates and times that normally are contained in a table column.
  • There is a differentiated range of built-in date and time functions in the various RDBMS.
  • You will in most DBMS find common functionality in handling date and time, but the solution to achieve the results will vary.
  • Here is a collection of the most important built-in date and time functions:
    Function RDBMS Description
    NOW() MySQL, PostgreSQL Returns the current date and time.
    PostgreSQL will return the current date and time with timezone.
    GETDATE() SQL server
    CURRENT_DATE Oracle
    DATE_ADD() & DATE_SUB() MySQL These functions are used to calculate a new date from a date by either adding a type of date units or subtract a type of date units.
    DATEADD() SQL server
    {date +/- part of day} Oracle
    {date +/- interval(units)} PostgreSQL
    EXTRACT() MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL These functions are used to extract partial information in a date.
    DATEPART() SQL server

NOW() function

Return the current date and time in MySQL.
Return the current date and time and timezone in PostgreSQL.

Function syntax:
Now()
Now example:
MySQL:
SELECT Now() now;
The result should be something similar:
now
2016-06-20 09:23:00
PostgreSQL:
SELECT Now()::timestamp now;
The result should be something similar:
now
timestamp without time zone
2016-06-20 10:01:14.017058

GETDATE() function

Return the current date and time in SQL server.
Function syntax:
GETDATE()
Getdate example:
SQL server:
SELECT GETDATE() now;
The result should be something similar:
now
2016-06-20 09:23:00:988

Current_date function

Return the current date and time in Oracle.
Function syntax:
current_date
current_date example:
Oracle:
SELECT CURRENT_DATE  now FROM DUAL;
The result should be something similar:
now
2016-06-20 09:23:00:0

DATE_ADD() & DATE_SUB() function

These functions are used to calculate a new date from a date by either adding a type of date units or subtract a type of date units in MySQL.
Function syntax:
DATE_ADD(date,INTERVAL expr unit); /* to add date units to a date */
DATE_SUB(date,INTERVAL expr unit); /* subtract date units from a date */
The unit can be one of the following:
Unit Value
MICROSECOND
SECOND
MINUTE
HOUR
DAY
WEEK
MONTH
QUARTER
YEAR
SECOND_MICROSECOND
MINUTE_MICROSECOND
MINUTE_SECOND
HOUR_MICROSECOND
HOUR_SECOND
HOUR_MINUTE
DAY_MICROSECOND
DAY_SECOND
DAY_MINUTE
DAY_HOUR
YEAR_MONTH
DATE_ADD example:
MySQL:
SELECT Now() now, DATE_ADD(Now(),interval 3 day) now3;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-23 09:23:00
DATE_SUB example:
MySQL:
SELECT Now() now, DATE_SUB(Now(),interval 3 day) now3;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-17 09:23:00

DATEADD() function

This function is used to calculate a new date from a date by either adding a type of date units or subtract a type of date units in SQL server.
Function syntax:
DATEADD(datepart , number , date );
The datepart can be one of the following:
datepartAbbreviation
yearyy, yyyy
quarterqq, q
monthmm, m
dayofyeardy, y
daydd, d
weekwk, ww
weekdaydw, w
hourhh
minutemi, n
secondss, s
millisecondms
microsecondmcs
nanosecondns
DATEADD add example:
SQL server:
SELECT GETDATE() now, DATEADD(day,3,GETDATE()) now3;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-23 09:23:00
DATEADD subtract example:
SQL server:
SELECT GETDATE() now, DATEADD(day,-3,GETDATE()) now3;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-17 09:23:00

Add days to date or Subtract days from date function

This functionality is used to calculate a new date from a date either by add days or part of a day or subtract days or a portion of a day in Oracle.
Function syntax:
date + unit of day;
The unit of day can be one of the following:
unitMeaning
11 day
1/241 hour
1/14401 minute
1/864001 second
3030 days
365365 days
Add to date example:
Oracle:
SELECT CURRENT_DATE now,  CURRENT_DATE + 3 now3 FROM dual;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-23 09:23:00
Subtract from date example:
Oracle:
SELECT CURRENT_DATE now,  CURRENT_DATE - 3 now3 FROM dual;
The result should be:
now now3
2016-06-20 09:23:00 2016-06-17 09:23:00

Add units to date or Subtract units from date function

This functionality is used to calculate a new date from a date either by add date interval units or subtract date interval units in PostgreSQL.
Function syntax:
date [+ | -] interval '(units)'
You can specify one or more of these units :
unitsMeaning
n yearadd or subtract n years from a date
n monthadd or subtract n months from a date
n day(s)add or subtract n days from a date
n houradd or subtract n hours from a date
n minuteadd or subtract n minutes from a date
n secondadd or subtract n seconds from a date
Add to date example:
PostgreSQL:
SELECT Now()::timestamp now,  Now()::timestamp + interval '3 days 2 hour' now3 
The result should be:
now
timestamp without time zone
now3
timestamp without time zone
2016-06-30 11:02:36.503056 2016-07-03 13:02:36.503056
Subtract from date example:
PostgreSQL:
SELECT Now()::timestamp now,  Now()::timestamp - interval '3 days 2 hour' now3 
The result should be:
now
timestamp without time zone
now3
timestamp without time zone
2016-06-30 11:05:39.88056 2016-06-27 09:05:39.88056

EXTRACT() function

This function is used to extract partial information in a date in both MySQL, PostgreSQL and Oracle.
Function syntax:
EXTRACT(unit FROM date);
The unit can be one of the following in Oracle:
Unit Value
SECOND
MINUTE
HOUR
DAY
WEEK
MONTH
YEAR
TIMEZONE_HOUR
TIMEZONE_MINUTE
TIMEZONE_REGION
TIMEZONE_ABBR
The unit can be one of the following in MySQL:
Unit Value
MICROSECOND
SECOND
MINUTE
HOUR
DAY
WEEK
MONTH
QUARTER
YEAR
SECOND_MICROSECOND
MINUTE_MICROSECOND
MINUTE_SECOND
HOUR_MICROSECOND
HOUR_SECOND
HOUR_MINUTE
DAY_MICROSECOND
DAY_SECOND
DAY_MINUTE
DAY_HOUR
YEAR_MONTH
The unit can be one of the following in PostgreSQL:
Unit Value
microseconds
milliseconds
second
minute
hour
day
week
month
quarter
year
millennium
century
decade
timezone
timezone_hour
timezone_minute
dow (The day of the week as Sunday(0) to Saturday(6))
isodow (The day of the week as Monday(1) to Sunday(7))
doy (The day of the year (1 - 365/366))
isoyear (The ISO 8601 year that the date falls in)
EXTRACT example:
MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL:
SELECT Order_id, Customer_id, EXTRACT(month FROM ORDER_DATE ) ant_month FROM orders;
The result should be:
order_id customer_id ant_month
70001 10001 10
70002 10002 6
70003 10003 8

DATEPART() function

This function is used to extract partial information in a date in SQL server.
Function syntax:
DATEPART(datepart , date);
The datepart can be one of the following:
datepartAbbreviation
yearyy, yyyy
quarterqq, q
monthmm, m
dayofyeardy, y
daydd, d
weekwk, ww
weekdaydw, w
hourhh
minutemi, n
secondss, s
millisecondms
microsecondmcs
nanosecondns
TZoffsettz
ISO_WEEKisowk, isoww
DATEPART example:
SQL server:
SELECT Order_id, Customer_id, DATEPART(month ,ORDER_DATE ) month FROM orders;
The result should be:
order_id customer_id month
70001 10001 10
70002 10002 6
70003 10003 8
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