How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

Question

SELECT GETDATE()

Returns: 2008-09-22 15:24:13.790

I want that date part without the time part: 2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

How can I get that?

Answer 1

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))

for example

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))

gives me

2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

Pros:

• No varchar<->datetime conversions required
• No need to think about locale

Answer 2

SQLServer 2008 now has a 'date' data type which contains only a date with no time component. Anyone using SQLServer 2008 and beyond can do the following:

SELECT CONVERT(date, GETDATE())

Answer 3

If using SQL 2008 and above:

select cast(getdate() as date)

Answer 4

DATEADD and DATEDIFF are better than CONVERTing to varchar. Both queries have the same execution plan, but execution plans are primarily about data access strategies and do not always reveal implicit costs involved in the CPU time taken to perform all the pieces. If both queries are run against a table with millions of rows, the CPU time using DateDiff can be close to 1/3rd of the Convert CPU time!

To see execution plans for queries:

set showplan_text on
GO 

Both DATEADD and DATEDIFF will execute a CONVERT_IMPLICIT.

Although the CONVERT solution is simpler and easier to read for some, it is slower. There is no need to cast back to DateTime (this is implicitly done by the server). There is also no real need in the DateDiff method for DateAdd afterward as the integer result will also be implicitly converted back to DateTime.

---

SELECT CONVERT(varchar, MyDate, 101) FROM DatesTable

  |--Compute Scalar(DEFINE:([Expr1004]=CONVERT(varchar(30),[TEST].[dbo].[DatesTable].[MyDate],101)))
       |--Table Scan(OBJECT:([TEST].[dbo].[DatesTable]))

---

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, MyDate)) FROM DatesTable

  |--Compute Scalar(DEFINE:([Expr1004]=dateadd(day,(0),CONVERT_IMPLICIT(datetime,datediff(day,'1900-01-01 00:00:00.000',CONVERT_IMPLICIT(datetime,[TEST].[dbo].[DatesTable].[MyDate],0)),0))))
       |--Table Scan(OBJECT:([TEST].[dbo].[DatesTable]))

Using FLOOR() as @digi suggested has performance closer to DateDiff, but is not recommended as casting the DateTime data type to float and back does not always yield the original value.

Remember guys: Don't believe anyone. Look at the performance statistics, and test it yourself!

Be careful when you're testing your results. Selecting many rows to the client will hide the performance difference because it takes longer to send the rows over the network than it does to perform the calculations. So make sure that the work for all the rows is done by the server but there is no row set sent to the client.

There seems to be confusion for some people about when cache optimization affects queries. Running two queries in the same batch or in separate batches has no effect on caching. So you can either expire the cache manually or simply run the queries back and forth multiple times. Any optimization for query #2 would also affect any subsequent queries, so throw out execution #1 if you like.

Here is full test script and performance results that prove DateDiff is substantially faster than converting to varchar.

Answer 5

Try this:

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(10),GETDATE(),111)

The above statement converts your current format to YYYY/MM/DD, please refer to this link to choose your preferable format.

Answer 6

SELECT CONVERT(datetime, CONVERT(varchar, GETDATE(), 101))

Answer 7

For return in date format

CAST(OrderDate AS date)

The above code will work in sql server 2010

It will return like 12/12/2013

For SQL Server 2012 use the below code

CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), OrderDate , 111)

Answer 8

You can use the CONVERT function to return only the date. See the link(s) below:

Date and Time Manipulation in SQL Server 2000

CAST and CONVERT

The syntax for using the convert function is:

CONVERT ( data_type [ ( length ) ] , expression [ , style ] ) 

Answer 9

If you need the result as a varchar, you should go through

SELECT CONVERT(DATE, GETDATE()) --2014-03-26
SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), GETDATE(), 111) --2014/03/26

which is already mentioned above.

If you need result in date and time format, you should use any of the queries below

1. SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME, CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), GETDATE(), 111)) AS OnlyDate 
   

   2014-03-26 00:00:00.000

2. SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME, CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), GETDATE(), 112)) AS OnlyDate 
   

   2014-03-26 00:00:00.000

3. DECLARE  @OnlyDate DATETIME
   SET @OnlyDate = DATEDIFF(DD, 0, GETDATE())
   SELECT @OnlyDate AS OnlyDate
   

   2014-03-26 00:00:00.000

Answer 10

If you are using SQL Server 2012 or above versions,

Use Format() function.

There are already multiple answers and formatting types for SQL server. But most of the methods are somewhat ambiguous and it would be difficult for you to remember the numbers for format type or functions with respect to Specific Date Format. That's why in next versions of SQL server there is better option.

FORMAT ( value, format [, culture ] )

Culture option is very useful, as you can specify date as per your viewers.

You have to remember d (for small patterns) and D (for long patterns).

1."d" - Short date pattern.

2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> 6/15/2009 (en-US)
2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> 15/06/2009 (fr-FR)
2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> 2009/06/15 (ja-JP)

2."D" - Long date pattern.

2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> Monday, June 15, 2009 (en-US)
2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> 15 июня 2009 г. (ru-RU)
2009-06-15T13:45:30 -> Montag, 15. Juni 2009 (de-DE)

More examples in query.

DECLARE @d DATETIME = '10/01/2011';
SELECT FORMAT ( @d, 'd', 'en-US' ) AS 'US English Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'd', 'en-gb' ) AS 'Great Britain English Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'd', 'de-de' ) AS 'German Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'd', 'zh-cn' ) AS 'Simplified Chinese (PRC) Result'; 

SELECT FORMAT ( @d, 'D', 'en-US' ) AS 'US English Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'D', 'en-gb' ) AS 'Great Britain English Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'D', 'de-de' ) AS 'German Result'
      ,FORMAT ( @d, 'D', 'zh-cn' ) AS 'Chinese (Simplified PRC) Result';

US English Result Great Britain English Result  German Result Simplified Chinese (PRC) Result
----------------  ----------------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
10/1/2011         01/10/2011                    01.10.2011    2011/10/1

US English Result            Great Britain English Result  German Result                    Chinese (Simplified PRC) Result
---------------------------- ----------------------------- -----------------------------  ---------------------------------------
Saturday, October 01, 2011   01 October 2011               Samstag, 1. Oktober 2011        2011年10月1日

If you want more formats, you can go to:

1. Standard Date and Time Format Strings
2. Custom Date and Time Format Strings

Answer 11

Just do:

SELECT CAST(date_variable AS date)

or with with PostgreSQL:

SELECT date_variable::date

This is called typecasting btw!

Answer 12

Using FLOOR() - just cut time part.

SELECT CAST(FLOOR(CAST(GETDATE() AS FLOAT)) AS DATETIME)

Answer 13

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR,DATEADD(DAY,-1,GETDATE()),103) --21/09/2011

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR,DATEADD(DAY,-1,GETDATE()),101) --09/21/2011

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR,DATEADD(DAY,-1,GETDATE()),111) --2011/09/21

SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR,DATEADD(DAY,-1,GETDATE()),107) --Sep 21, 2011

Answer 14

To obtain the result indicated, I use the following command.

SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME,CONVERT(DATE,GETDATE()))

I holpe it is useful.

Answer 15

IF you want to use CONVERT and get the same output as in the original question posed, that is, yyyy-mm-dd then use CONVERT(varchar(10),[SourceDate as dateTime],121) same code as the previous couple answers, but the code to convert to yyyy-mm-dd with dashes is 121.

If I can get on my soapbox for a second, this kind of formatting doesn't belong in the data tier, and that's why it wasn't possible without silly high-overhead 'tricks' until SQL Server 2008 when actual datepart data types are introduced. Making such conversions in the data tier is a huge waste of overhead on your DBMS, but more importantly, the second you do something like this, you have basically created in-memory orphaned data that I assume you will then return to a program. You can't put it back in to another 3NF+ column or compare it to anything typed without reverting, so all you've done is introduced points of failure and removed relational reference.

You should ALWAYS go ahead and return your dateTime data type to the calling program and in the PRESENTATION tier, make whatever adjustments are necessary. As soon as you go converting things before returning them to the caller, you are removing all hope of referential integrity from the application. This would prevent an UPDATE or DELETE operation, again, unless you do some sort of manual reversion, which again is exposing your data to human/code/gremlin error when there is no need.