Keeping track of date and time data points is crucial in online transactional databases. Whether it’s recording sales invoices, tracking quotes, or managing customer contacts, date and time information plays a vital role in sorting and locating the latest information in a report or data source.

Global organizations, in particular, rely on accurate date and time information to ensure synchronization across different parts of the organization. Communication, reporting, and collaboration tools need to convey precise date and time details to keep everyone on the same page.

DateTime Functions in SQL Server

In SQL Server, there are several functions available to work with date and time:

• GETDATE(): Returns the current date and time in your time zone, including fractional seconds expressed in milliseconds.
• SYSDATETIME(): Similar to GETDATE(), but with fractional seconds expressed in nanoseconds.
• GETUTCDATE(): Shows the current time in terms of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
• SYSUTCDATETIME(): Provides the current time in UTC with precision down to nanoseconds.

For example, if you want to know the current time in the UK, you can use GETUTCDATE() to get the time expressed in UTC.

Let’s run all four functions together:

SELECT GETDATE() AS CurrentDateTime,
       SYSDATETIME() AS CurrentDateTimeWithNanoseconds,
       GETUTCDATE() AS CurrentUTCTime,
       SYSUTCDATETIME() AS CurrentUTCTimeWithNanoseconds;

This query will display the current date and time in your local time zone (e.g., Pacific time zone) and the corresponding UTC time.

Quiz Time!

Now, it’s time for a quiz! Answer the following question in the comment section below:

Question: Which one of the following functions will return the date and time in the current time zone to a precision of milliseconds?

1. GETDATE()
2. SYSDATETIME()
3. GETUTCDATE()
4. SYSUTCDATETIME()

Please include your country of residence in your answer. Every day, one winner from the United States and one winner from India will be announced. The winners will receive a copy of “Joes 2 Pros Volume 3”. The contest is open until the next blog post is published, which is the next day GTM+2.5.

Stay tuned to my Facebook page for the announcement of winners and the correct answer!