When it comes to managing databases, one of the most crucial aspects is the proper handling of date and time data. The SQL Server DATE data type is designed to store date values without the time component, making it ideal for many applications.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the SQL Server DATE data type, its syntax and range, storage and format, and examples of how to use it. Additionally, we will explore how to query data based on DATE values and provide examples to help you get started.
Introducing the SQL Server DATE data type
The SQL Server DATE data type is used to represent a specific date value, from January 1, 0001, through December 31, 9999. It is a fixed-length data type that occupies 3 bytes of storage.
The DATE data type, as the name suggests, stores only the date component and not the time component. This makes it useful for many everyday applications such as recording birth dates, transaction dates, and order dates.
SQL Server DATE syntax and range
To use the SQL Server DATE data type, we must declare a column as a DATE type within the CREATE TABLE statement or alter the column type with an ALTER TABLE statement. The syntax for the DATE data type is as follows:
[ column_name ] DATE [ NULL | NOT NULL ]
The DATE data type has a range of January 1, 0001, through December 31, 9999.
For example, the latest possible date is December 31, 9999, which can be represented in SQL Server as 9999-12-31.
Storage and format of DATE values
The DATE data type is stored as a 3-byte integer, where each byte represents the year, month, and day, respectively. The format used for inputting DATE values is YYYY-MM-DD.
When we use literal strings to input DATE values, we must follow this format, as any deviation can result in an error. However, SQL Server supports the conversion to and from different date formats, making it possible to enter dates in various formats when converting to the DATE data type.
SQL Server DATE examples
To query data based on the DATE data type, we must first insert data into the table column that we have designated as a DATE type. Here is an example of a table containing the dates of orders.
CREATE TABLE sales.orders
(
order_id INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
order_date DATE NOT NULL,
customer_id INT,
product_id INT,
quantity INT,
order_total MONEY
);
To insert a new order into this table, we would use the following syntax:
INSERT INTO sales.orders
(order_date, customer_id, product_id, quantity, order_total)
VALUES
('2021-06-15', 1234, 5678, 10, 1000.00);
This would add a new record to the sales.orders table with the order_date of June 15, 2021, the customer_id of 1234, product_id of 5678, quantity of 10, and order_total of $1000.00.
Querying data based on DATE values
To query data based on DATE values, we can use the WHERE clause to specify a range of dates. For example, to find all orders that occurred between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021, we would use the following syntax:
SELECT * FROM sales.orders
WHERE order_date >= '2021-01-01' AND order_date <= '2021-06-30';
This would return all records in the sales.orders table where the order_date falls within the specified range.
Example of querying data with SQL Server DATE
Let’s assume we want to find the total sales from all orders that occurred in June 2021. To achieve this, we would use the following query:
SELECT SUM(order_total) as total_sales FROM sales.orders
WHERE order_date >= '2021-06-01' AND order_date <= '2021-06-30';
This would return the total of all order totals in the sales.orders table where the order_date falls within the specified range. We use the SUM function to sum the order_total column, and we use the alias ‘total_sales’ to provide a more meaningful name for our output column.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the SQL Server DATE data type, its syntax and range, storage and format, and examples of how to use it for inserting data into tables. Additionally, we explored how to query data based on DATE values and provided examples to help you get started.
With this knowledge, you will be able to efficiently manage date and time data in your SQL Server databases and create more delightful and meaningful experiences for your users.When creating a table in SQL Server, it is important to define the columns carefully to ensure that the data is stored in the most efficient and meaningful way possible. The SQL Server DATE data type is an excellent choice for columns that require only a date value.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to define table columns using SQL Server DATE, and provide an example of inserting date values into a table.
Creating a table with SQL Server DATE columns
To define a table column as the SQL Server DATE data type, we simply include ‘DATE’ after the column name and specify whether the column allows null values. For example, let’s create a table that includes a column with dates that list prices were last updated:
CREATE TABLE sales.list_prices
(
item_id INT NOT NULL,
list_price MONEY NOT NULL,
last_updated DATE NULL
);
In this example, we created a table called ‘list_prices’ with three columns. The first column is item_id, which is defined as INT and does not allow null values.
The second column is list_price, which is defined as MONEY and also does not allow null values. The last column, last_updated, is defined as DATE and allows null values.
Note: Depending on the specific requirements of your application, you may or may not want to allow null values for the DATE column. In the case of the ‘list_prices’ table, it may be acceptable to have some records with a null value for ‘last_updated’, indicating that the price has not been updated yet.
Example of inserting dates into a table
To insert date values into a table with a DATE column, we must specify the date value in the correct format. It is important to remember that when using literal values, we must format the date in the ‘YYYY-MM-DD’ format.
Here is an example of inserting a record into the ‘list_prices’ table we created:
INSERT INTO sales.list_prices
(item_id, list_price, last_updated)
VALUES
(1, 9.99, '2021-07-05');
In this example, we inserted a record into the ‘list_prices’ table with item_id = 1, list_price = $9.99, and last_updated = ‘2021-07-05’. This record indicates that the price for item 1 was last updated on July 5, 2021.
Note: When inserting dates into a table, it is important to ensure that the date is valid and falls within the acceptable range for the DATE data type. For example, the earliest possible date is January 1, 0001, while the latest possible date is December 31, 9999.
Bonus Tip: Modifying DATE Columns
If we want to modify the properties of a DATE column in an existing table, we can use the ALTER TABLE statement. For example, if we wanted to change the ‘last_updated’ column in the ‘list_prices’ table to disallow null values, we would use the following statement:
ALTER TABLE sales.list_prices
ALTER COLUMN last_updated DATE NOT NULL;
This statement modifies the definition of the ‘last_updated’ column in the ‘list_prices’ table so that it no longer accepts null values.
Conclusion
In this article, we explored how to define table columns using the SQL Server DATE data type, and provided an example of inserting date values into a table. With this knowledge, you will be able to create tables that efficiently store date values in an organized and meaningful way.
Additionally, we provided a bonus tip on how to modify the properties of a DATE column in an existing table. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your SQL Server databases are structured optimally to meet your application’s needs.
In this article, we have discussed the SQL Server DATE data type and how to define table columns using this data type. We have explored the syntax of SQL Server DATE, its range, storage, and format.
We have also provided examples of how to create a table with SQL Server DATE columns and how to insert date values into the table. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your SQL Server databases are well-structured, optimized, and efficient.
It is crucial to handle date and time information carefully, and SQL Server DATE is one of the most useful data types for handling dates. Utilizing SQL Server DATE data type is an essential aspect of designing efficient databases that can help in making informed business decisions.