SQL Server is a popular relational database management system that is widely used in the industry. One of the key features of SQL Server is its ability to handle date and time data. In this article, we will explore SQL Server's equivalent of MySQL's NOW() function.
MySQL's NOW() function is a very useful feature that allows users to retrieve the current date and time in a specific format. This function is commonly used in database queries and is especially helpful in situations where you need to track the date and time when a record was inserted or updated in the database. However, if you are using SQL Server, you might be wondering what the equivalent of NOW() function is and how you can use it in your queries.
The equivalent of MySQL's NOW() function in SQL Server is the GETDATE() function. This function returns the current date and time in the default format of the server. Let's take a closer look at how this function works and how you can use it in your SQL Server queries.
The syntax for the GETDATE() function is quite simple. It does not require any parameters and can be used as follows:
SELECT GETDATE()
This query will return the current date and time in the following format: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.mmm. The year, month, and day will be displayed in four digits, followed by the time in 24-hour format. The milliseconds will also be displayed, giving you a precise timestamp.
You can also use the GETDATE() function in a SELECT statement to retrieve the current date and time along with other columns from a table. For example:
SELECT Name, DateOfBirth, GETDATE() AS 'CurrentDateTime'
FROM Employees
This query will return the name and date of birth of all employees, along with the current date and time in a separate column called 'CurrentDateTime'.
In addition to the default format, you can also format the output of the GETDATE() function using the CONVERT() function. This allows you to display the date and time in a specific format that is more suitable for your needs. For example:
SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), GETDATE(), 101) AS 'Date'
This query will return the current date in the format of mm/dd/yyyy. You can also use the CONVERT() function to display only the time in a specific format. For example:
SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(8), GETDATE(), 108) AS 'Time'
This query will return the current time in the format of hh:mm:ss. You can explore different date and time formats and use the CONVERT() function to display them in your desired format.
It is worth mentioning that the GETDATE() function returns the current date and time according to the server's time zone. If you need to retrieve the date and time in a specific time zone, you can use the SYSDATETIMEOFFSET() function. This function returns the current date and time along with the offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). You can then use the SWITCHOFFSET() function to convert the date and time to a specific time zone. For example:
SELECT SWITCHOFFSET(SYSDATETIMEOFFSET(), '-04:00') AS 'EasternTime'
This query will return the current date and time in the Eastern Time zone. You can change the offset value to convert the date and time to a different time zone.
In conclusion, SQL Server's GETDATE() function is the equivalent of MySQL's NOW() function and allows users to retrieve the current date and
