SQL Server Date Functions

GETDATE() Function

GETDATE() returns the current date and time from the system clock of the SQL Server instance. It is commonly used to insert timestamps or filter records based on the current date.

• Returns datetime data type.
• Includes both date and time parts.
• Does not take any arguments.

DATEADD() Function

DATEADD() adds a specified number of units (such as days, months, or years) to a date. It is useful for calculating future or past dates.

• Syntax: DATEADD(datepart, number, date).
• datepart can be year, month, day, hour, minute, second, etc.
• number can be positive (add) or negative (subtract).

DATEDIFF() Function

DATEDIFF() calculates the difference between two dates in terms of a specified date part. It returns an integer representing the count of boundaries crossed.

• Syntax: DATEDIFF(datepart, startdate, enddate).
• Common dateparts include day, month, year, hour, minute.
• Useful for age calculation, duration, or interval measurement.

FORMAT() Function

FORMAT() converts a date/time value to a string formatted according to a .NET format string. It is helpful for displaying dates in user-friendly formats.

• Syntax: FORMAT(value, format [, culture]).
• Supports standard and custom date/time format strings.
• Can specify culture for localization.

Retrieve Current Date and Time

Use GETDATE() to get the current date and time.

Add 7 Days to a Date

Use DATEADD() to add 7 days to a specific date.

Calculate Days Between Two Dates

Use DATEDIFF() to find the number of days between two dates.

Format a Date for Display

Use FORMAT() to display a date in 'MMMM dd, yyyy' format.