Date and Time Data Types and Functions (Transact-SQL)
The following sections in this topic provide an overview of all Transact-SQL date and time data types and functions. For information and examples that are common to date and time data types and functions, see Using Date and Time Data.
Date and Time Data Types
Date and Time Functions
Function That Get System Date and Time Values
Functions That Get Date and Time Parts
Functions That Get Date and Time Difference
Functions That Modify Date and Time Values
Functions That Set or Get Session Format Functions
Functions That Validate Date and Time Values
Date and Time–Related Topics
Date and Time Data Types
The Transact-SQL date and time data types are listed in the following table.
Data type |
Format |
Range |
Accuracy |
Storage size (bytes) |
User-defined fractional second precision |
Time zone offset |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hh:mm:ss[.nnnnnnn] |
00:00:00.0000000 through 23:59:59.9999999 |
100 nanoseconds |
3 to 5 |
Yes |
No |
|
YYYY-MM-DD |
0001-01-01 through 9999-12-31 |
1 day |
3 |
No |
No |
|
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss |
1900-01-01 through 2079-06-06 |
1 minute |
4 |
No |
No |
|
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss[.nnn] |
1753-01-01 through 9999-12-31 |
0.00333 second |
8 |
No |
No |
|
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss[.nnnnnnn] |
0001-01-01 00:00:00.0000000 through 9999-12-31 23:59:59.9999999 |
100 nanoseconds |
6 to 8 |
Yes |
No |
|
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss[.nnnnnnn] [+|-]hh:mm |
0001-01-01 00:00:00.0000000 through 9999-12-31 23:59:59.9999999 (in UTC) |
100 nanoseconds |
8 to 10 |
Yes |
Yes |
Note
The Transact-SQLrowversion data type is not a date or time data type. timestamp is a deprecated synonym for rowversion.
Date and Time Functions
The Transact-SQL date and time functions are listed in the following tables. For more information about determinism, see Deterministic and Nondeterministic Functions.
Functions That Get System Date and Time Values
All system date and time values are derived from the operating system of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running.
Higher-Precision System Date and Time Functions
SQL Server 2008 obtains the date and time values by using the GetSystemTimeAsFileTime() Windows API. The accuracy depends on the computer hardware and version of Windows on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The precision of this API is fixed at 100 nanoseconds. The accuracy can be determined by using the GetSystemTimeAdjustment() Windows API.
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
SYSDATETIME () |
Returns a datetime2(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The time zone offset is not included. |
datetime2(7) |
Nondeterministic |
|
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET ( ) |
Returns a datetimeoffset(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The time zone offset is included. |
datetimeoffset(7) |
Nondeterministic |
|
SYSUTCDATETIME ( ) |
Returns a datetime2(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The date and time is returned as UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time). |
datetime2(7) |
Nondeterministic |
Lower-Precision System Date and Time Functions
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP |
Returns a datetime2(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The time zone offset is not included. |
datetime |
Nondeterministic |
|
GETDATE ( ) |
Returns a datetime2(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The time zone offset is not included. |
datetime |
Nondeterministic |
|
GETUTCDATE ( ) |
Returns a datetime2(7) value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running. The date and time is returned as UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time). |
datetime |
Nondeterministic |
Functions That Get Date and Time Parts
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
DATENAME ( datepart , date ) |
Returns a character string that represents the specified datepart of the specified date. |
nvarchar |
Nondeterministic |
|
DATEPART ( datepart , date ) |
Returns an integer that represents the specified datepart of the specified date. |
int |
Nondeterministic |
|
DAY ( date ) |
Returns an integer that represents the day day part of the specified date. |
int |
Deterministic |
|
MONTH ( date ) |
Returns an integer that represents the month part of a specified date. |
int |
Deterministic |
|
YEAR ( date ) |
Returns an integer that represents the year part of a specified date. |
int |
Deterministic |
Functions That Get Date and Time Difference
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
DATEDIFF ( datepart , startdate , enddate ) |
Returns the number of date or time datepart boundaries that are crossed between two specified dates. |
int |
Deterministic |
Functions That Modify Date and Time Values
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
DATEADD (datepart , number , date ) |
Returns a new datetime value by adding an interval to the specified datepart of the specified date. |
The data type of the date argument |
Deterministic |
|
SWITCHOFFSET (DATETIMEOFFSET , time_zone) |
SWITCHOFFSET changes the time zone offset of a DATETIMEOFFSET value and preserves the UTC value. |
datetimeoffset with the fractional precision of the DATETIMEOFFSET |
Deterministic |
|
TODATETIMEOFFSET (expression , time_zone) |
TODATETIMEOFFSET transforms a datetime2 value into a datetimeoffset value. The datetime2 value is interpreted in local time for the specified time_zone. |
datetimeoffset with the fractional precision of the datetime argument |
Deterministic |
Functions That Set or Get Session Format
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
@@DATEFIRST |
Returns the current value, for the session, of SET DATEFIRST. |
tinyint |
Nondeterministic |
|
SET DATEFIRST { number | @number_var } |
Sets the first day of the week to a number from 1 through 7. |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
|
SET DATEFORMAT { format | @format_var } |
Sets the order of the dateparts (month/day/year) for entering datetime or smalldatetime data. |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
|
@@LANGUAGE |
Returns the name of the language that is currently being used. @@LANGUAGE is not a date or time function. However, the language setting can affect the output of date functions. |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
|
SET LANGUAGE { [ N ] 'language' | @language_var } |
Sets the language environment for the session and system messages. SET LANGUAGE is not a date or time function. However, the language setting affects the output of date functions. |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
|
sp_helplanguage [ [ @language = ] 'language' ] |
Returns information about date formats of all supported languages. sp_helplanguage is not a date or time stored procedure. However, the language setting affects the output of date functions. |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Functions That Validate Date and Time Values
Function |
Syntax |
Return value |
Return data type |
Determinism |
---|---|---|---|---|
ISDATE ( expression ) |
Determines whether a datetime or smalldatetime input expression is a valid date or time value. |
int |
ISDATE is deterministic only if you use it with the CONVERT function, when the CONVERT style parameter is specified, and when style is not equal to 0, 100, 9, or 109. |
Date and Time–Related Topics
Topic |
Description |
---|---|
Provides information and examples that are common to date and time data types and functions. |
|
Provides information about the conversion of date and time values to and from string literals and other date and time formats. |
|
Provides guidelines for portability of databases and database applications that use Transact-SQL statements from one language to another, or that support multiple languages. |
|
Provides information about ODBC scalar functions that can be used in Transact-SQL statements. This includes ODBC date and time functions. |
|
Provides information about how date and time data types affect distributed queries between servers that have different versions of SQL Server or different providers. |