Hello and welcome to this comprehensive guide on datetime SQL Server format. In this article, we will take a deep dive into the different types of datetime formats in SQL Server and how they can be used to work with dates and times in your databases.

What is Datetime?

Datetime is a data type in SQL Server that is used to store date and time values. It allows you to work with dates and times in various ways, such as performing calculations, sorting, and filtering data based on dates and times. There are different types of datetime formats available in SQL Server, each with its own unique characteristics and use cases.

Datetime Types

There are three main types of datetime formats in SQL Server:

Datetime Type	Description
DATETIME	Stores date and time values from January 1, 1753, to December 31, 9999, with an accuracy of 3.33 milliseconds.
SMALLDATETIME	Stores date and time values from January 1, 1900, to June 6, 2079, with an accuracy of one minute.
DATE	Stores only date values from January 1, 0001, to December 31, 9999.

Let’s explore each of these datetime types in more detail.

DATETIME

The DATETIME data type is used to store date and time values with a precision of up to 3.33 milliseconds. This precision allows you to perform calculations and comparisons with a high degree of accuracy. The syntax for defining a DATETIME value is as follows:

DATETIME: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS.mmm

Here’s what each component of the syntax represents:

• YYYY: Four-digit year value.
• MM: Two-digit month value.
• DD: Two-digit day value.
• HH: Two-digit hour value (24-hour format).
• MI: Two-digit minute value.
• SS: Two-digit second value.
• mmm: Millisecond value (optional).

For example, to store the datetime value of January 1, 2022, at 12:30:45.123 PM, you would use the following code:

DECLARE @myDatetime DATETIME = '2022-01-01 12:30:45.123'

DATETIME FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about using DATETIME in SQL Server:

What is the minimum and maximum value for DATETIME?

The minimum value for DATETIME is January 1, 1753, and the maximum value is December 31, 9999.

How do I perform calculations with DATETIME?

You can use various built-in functions in SQL Server to perform calculations with DATETIME values, such as DATEDIFF(), DATEADD(), and DATEPART(). For example, to calculate the difference in days between two DATETIME values, you can use the following code:

DECLARE @date1 DATETIME = '2022-01-01'
DECLARE @date2 DATETIME = '2022-01-10'

SELECT DATEDIFF(day, @date1, @date2) AS DateDiff

This would return the value of 9, indicating that there are nine days between the two dates.

SMALLDATETIME

The SMALLDATETIME data type is similar to DATETIME, but with a lower precision of one minute. This data type is useful when you don’t need to store millisecond-level precision in your date and time values. The syntax for defining a SMALLDATETIME value is as follows:

SMALLDATETIME: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MI:SS

Here’s what each component of the syntax represents:

• YYYY: Four-digit year value.
• MM: Two-digit month value.
• DD: Two-digit day value.
• HH: Two-digit hour value (24-hour format).
• MI: Two-digit minute value.
• SS: Two-digit second value (always set to 00).

For example, to store the datetime value of January 1, 2022, at 12:30 PM, you would use the following code:

DECLARE @mySmallDatetime SMALLDATETIME = '2022-01-01 12:30:00'

SMALLDATETIME FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about using SMALLDATETIME in SQL Server:

What is the minimum and maximum value for SMALLDATETIME?

The minimum value for SMALLDATETIME is January 1, 1900, and the maximum value is June 6, 2079.

How do I convert a DATETIME value to SMALLDATETIME?

You can use the CONVERT() function to convert a DATETIME value to SMALLDATETIME. Here’s an example:

DECLARE @myDatetime DATETIME = '2022-01-01 12:30:45.123'
DECLARE @mySmallDatetime SMALLDATETIME

SET @mySmallDatetime = CONVERT(SMALLDATETIME, @myDatetime)

SELECT @mySmallDatetime

This would convert the DATETIME value to SMALLDATETIME and store it in the @mySmallDatetime variable.

DATE

The DATE data type is used to store only date values, without the time component. This data type is useful when you only need to work with dates and don’t need to store time values. The syntax for defining a DATE value is as follows:

DATE: YYYY-MM-DD

Here’s what each component of the syntax represents:

• YYYY: Four-digit year value.
• MM: Two-digit month value.
• DD: Two-digit day value.

For example, to store the date value of January 1, 2022, you would use the following code:

DECLARE @myDate DATE = '2022-01-01'

DATE FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about using DATE in SQL Server:

What is the minimum and maximum value for DATE?

The minimum value for DATE is January 1, 0001, and the maximum value is December 31, 9999.

How do I use DATE in WHERE clauses?

You can use various comparison operators and functions to compare DATE values in WHERE clauses. For example, to retrieve all records with a date value greater than or equal to January 1, 2022, you can use the following code:

SELECT * FROM MyTable WHERE MyDateColumn >= '2022-01-01'

This would return all records where the MyDateColumn value is January 1, 2022, or later.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has provided you with a comprehensive understanding of datetime SQL Server format. By using the appropriate datetime type for your needs, you can work with dates and times in SQL Server with a high degree of accuracy and precision. If you have any further questions, please refer to the FAQs or consult the SQL Server documentation for more information.

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