How to convert a datetime to string in T-SQL

The following query will get the current datetime and convert into string. with the following format
yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss(24h)

SELECT convert(varchar(25), getdate(), 120)
  • SQLFiddle Demo
  • SQL Server Date Formats

There are many different ways to convert a datetime to a string. Here is one way:

SELECT convert(varchar(25), getdate(), 121)  – yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.mmm

See Demo

Here is a website that has a list of all of the conversions:

How to Format datetime & date in SQL Server


There are 3 different methods depending on what I is my requirement and which version I am using.

Here are the methods..

1) Using Convert

DECLARE @DateTime DATETIME = GETDATE();
--Using Convert
SELECT
    CONVERT(NVARCHAR, @DateTime,120) AS 'myDateTime'
    ,CONVERT(NVARCHAR(10), @DateTime, 120) AS 'myDate'
    ,RIGHT(CONVERT(NVARCHAR, @DateTime, 120),8) AS 'myTime'

2) Using Cast (SQL Server 2008 and beyond)

SELECT
    CAST(@DateTime AS DATETIME2) AS 'myDateTime'
    ,CAST(@DateTime AS DATETIME2(3)) AS 'myDateTimeWithPrecision'
    ,CAST(@DateTime AS DATE) AS 'myDate'
    ,CAST(@DateTime AS TIME) AS 'myTime'
    ,CAST(@DateTime AS TIME(3)) AS 'myTimeWithPrecision'

3) Using Fixed-length character data type

DECLARE @myDateTime NVARCHAR(20) = CONVERT(NVARCHAR, @DateTime, 120);
DECLARE @myDate NVARCHAR(10) = CONVERT(NVARCHAR, @DateTime, 120);

SELECT
    @myDateTime AS 'myDateTime'
    ,@myDate AS 'myDate'

Tags:

Sql Server

Tsql

Recent Posts