SQL Server YEAR() Function Overview
Microsoft SQL Server is a widely used relational database management system that has many built-in functions to simplify queries and operations. One such function is the YEAR() function, which returns the year part from a date value.
In this article, we will discuss the syntax of the YEAR() function, the argument types accepted, and the differences between the YEAR() function and the DATEPART() function.
Syntax of YEAR() Function
The syntax of the YEAR() function is very simple and straightforward. It takes a single argument, which is a date expression.
The syntax goes like this:
YEAR(date_expression)
Here, date_expression can be any valid SQL Server expression that returns a date and time value.
Argument Types Accepted by YEAR() Function
The argument that is passed to the YEAR() function can be of any data type that can be implicitly converted to the datetime or smalldatetime data type. Some of the accepted argument types are:
- datetime (or datetime2) data type
- date data type
- datetimeoffset data type
- smalldatetime data type
- string data type in a format that can be recognized as date/time by SQL Server
YEAR() Function versus DATEPART() Function
Although both YEAR() and DATEPART() functions provide similar functionality, there are some differences between them. The YEAR() function returns the year part of a date value, whereas the DATEPART() function can return any part of the date/time value like year, month, day, hour, minute, second, etc.
depending upon the argument passed to it. Also, the DATEPART() function does not have a default value as compared to the YEAR() function.
Examples of SQL Server YEAR() Function
Let us now discuss some examples of using the YEAR() function in SQL Server.
Using YEAR() Function with a Literal Date Value
Suppose we want to retrieve the year part from the date ‘2022-01-31’. We can use the YEAR() function as follows:
SELECT YEAR('2022-01-31') AS 'Year'
This will return:
Year
—-
2022
Using YEAR() Function with a Date Value that has Only Time Part
If we have a datetime value that does not have a date part but only has a time part, the YEAR() function can still be applied to it. For example:
SELECT YEAR('1900-01-01 06:30:00.000') AS 'Year'
This will return:
Year
—-
1900
Using YEAR() Function with Table Columns Example
Suppose we have a sales table with columns ‘OrderDate’ and ‘GrossSales’. We want to find the sum of gross sales for each year.
We can use the YEAR() function in combination with the SUM() function and the GROUP BY clause as follows:
SELECT YEAR(OrderDate) AS 'Year', SUM(GrossSales) AS 'TotalSales'
FROM Sales
GROUP BY YEAR(OrderDate)
This will return:
Year TotalSales
—- ———-
2021 20000.00
2022 35000.50
Conclusion
In conclusion, the YEAR() function is a simple but powerful tool in SQL Server that can be used to retrieve the year part from a date value. It can be applied to a variety of data types and can be used in conjunction with other SQL Server functions to create complex queries and reports.
By understanding its syntax, argument types, and differences with the DATEPART() function, you can become more proficient in SQL Server and make your database operations more efficient and effective.
SQL Server YEAR() Function – A Complete Guide
SQL Server provides many built-in functions that help make database operations simpler. The YEAR() function is one such function that is widely used in SQL Server.
In this article, we will discuss the usage of the SQL Server YEAR() function in detail.
SQL Server YEAR() Function Overview
The SQL Server YEAR() function is used to extract the year part from a specified date. The function extracts only the year from a date value and returns an integer value.
The syntax of the SQL Server YEAR() function is:
YEAR(date_expression)
Here, the date_expression parameter is any valid SQL Server expression that returns a datetime or smalldatetime expression.
Using YEAR() Function with a Literal Date Value
We can use the YEAR() function to extract the year from a specified date. For example, to extract the year from the date ‘2022-08-15’, we can use the following SQL statement:
SELECT YEAR('2022-08-15')
This will return a value of ‘2022’.
Using YEAR() Function with a Date and Time Value
We can also use the YEAR() function to extract the year from a datetime value. For example, to extract the year from the datetime value ‘2022-08-15 23:11:10.567’, we can use the following SQL statement:
SELECT YEAR('2022-08-15 23:11:10.567')
This will return a value of ‘2022’.
Using YEAR() Function with Table Columns Example
We can use the YEAR() function to extract the year from a column in a table. For example, consider a sales table with a column named OrderDate, as shown below:
Sales Table
+------------+-------------+
| OrderDate | GrossSales |
+------------+-------------+
| 2022-01-15 | 5000.00 |
| 2022-02-23 | 7000.00 |
| 2021-07-11 | 8000.00 |
| 2021-08-17 | 12000.00 |
+------------+-------------+
Suppose we want to retrieve the total gross sales for each year. In this case, we can use the YEAR() function in combination with the GROUP BY clause, as shown below:
SELECT YEAR(OrderDate) AS SalesYear, SUM(GrossSales) AS TotalSales
FROM Sales
GROUP BY YEAR(OrderDate)
This will result in the following output:
+-----------+-------------+
| SalesYear | TotalSales |
+-----------+-------------+
| 2021 | 20000.00 |
| 2022 | 12000.00 |
+-----------+-------------+
Difference Between YEAR() and DATEPART() Functions
The YEAR() function and the DATEPART() function are commonly used to extract date parts in SQL Server. However, the two functions have a few differences:
- The YEAR() function extracts the year part of a specified date, while the DATEPART() function can extract the year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and other parts of a date.
- The YEAR() function is a shorthand way of extracting the year part of a date and is easier to read, while the DATEPART() function is more flexible and can extract any date part.
Example Usage of the DATEPART() Function
Here is an example of using the DATEPART() function to extract the day from the date 2022-08-15:
SELECT DATEPART(day, '2022-08-15')
This statement will return ’15’.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the SQL Server YEAR() function and its usage in detail. The YEAR() function can be used to extract the year part from a specified date or datetime value and is commonly used in SQL queries and reporting.
We have also discussed the differences between the YEAR() and DATEPART() functions and provided an example of using the DATEPART() function. By mastering the usage of the SQL Server YEAR() function, you can make your database operations more efficient and effective.
In conclusion, the SQL Server YEAR() function is an essential tool for SQL developers and can be used to extract the year part from a given date value. We’ve covered the syntax of the function, the argument types it accepts, and the differences between the YEAR() function and the DATEPART() function.
Additionally, we’ve provided multiple examples of how to use the YEAR() function with both literals and table columns. By utilizing this function, developers can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their SQL queries and make better use of relational databases.
Overall, mastering the YEAR() function in SQL Server is an important skill for SQL developers and can help in making sense of complex datasets.