CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sqlsql-server
LEM
LEM

Reputation: 862

Converting a string to a datetime in MS SQL Server

select CONVERT(datetime, '12/16/2001 11:00:00 PM', ???)

By looking at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187928.aspx , I'm unable to find a valid style that I can use with the Convert function for this type of date. I always get the error 'Conversion failed when converting date and/or time from character string'

Any ideas?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 21875

Answers (2)

Jeff Moden
Jeff Moden

Reputation: 3494

You don't need to find the correct format in most cases. SQL Server is remarkable in it's ability to figure out most renditions of things that look like a DATETIME. I'm pretty sure you won't find a format number for most of the conversions in the example code below but ALL of the formats but two do a correct conversion with DATETIME without any format numbering at all.

In the same code, you'll also see how badly DATETIME2 was implemented. If you need a reason for DATETIME to not go away in favor of DATETIME2, this is a major reason!

--===== Set the language for this example.
    SET LANGUAGE ENGLISH --Same a US-English
;
--===== Use a table constructor as if it were a table for this example.
 SELECT *
        ,DateTimeCONVERT  = TRY_CONVERT(DATETIME,StringDT)
        ,DateTimeCAST     = TRY_CAST(StringDT AS DATETIME)
        ,DateTime2CONVERT = TRY_CONVERT(DATETIME2,StringDT)
        ,DateTime2CAST    = TRY_CAST(StringDT AS DATETIME2)
   FROM (
         VALUES
         ('Same Format As In The OP'    ,'12/16/2001 01:51:01 PM')
        ,('Almost Normal'               ,'16 December, 2001 1:51:01 PM')
        ,('More Normal'                 ,'December 16, 2001 01:51:01 PM')
        ,('Time Up Front + Spaces'      ,'   13:51:01  16 December   2001')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #01'   ,'  16  13:51:01  December   2001')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #02'   ,'  16    December 13:51:01  2001  ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #03'   ,'  16    December 01:51:01  PM 2001  ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #04'   ,' 2001 16    December 01:51:01  PM ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #05'   ,' 2001    December 01:51:01  PM  16  ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #06'   ,' 2001 16    December  01:51:01 PM  ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #07'   ,' 2001 16    December  13:51:01 PM  ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #08'   ,' 2001 16  13:51:01 PM  December    ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #09'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001.12/16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #10'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001.December/16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #11'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001.Dec/16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #12'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001.Dec.16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #13'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001/Dec.16')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #14'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 . 12/16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #15'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 . December / 16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #16'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 . Dec /   16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #17'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 . Dec .   16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #18'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 / Dec .   16')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #19'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 . Dec -   16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #20'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 - Dec -   16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #21'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 - Dec .   16')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #22'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 - Dec /   16 ')
        ,('Totally Whacky Format #23'   ,'   13:51:01   PM  2001 / Dec -   16')
        ,('Just the year'               ,' 2001      ')
        ,('YYYYMM'                      ,' 200112      ')
        ,('YYYY MMM'                    ,'2001 Dec')
        ,('YYYY-MMM'                    ,'2001-Dec')
        ,('YYYY    .     MMM'           ,'2001    .     Dec')
        ,('YYYY    /     MMM'           ,'2001    /     Dec')
        ,('YYYY    -     MMM'           ,'2001    /     Dec')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #1'        ,'2001December26')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #2'        ,'2001Dec26')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #3'        ,'26December2001')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #4'        ,'26Dec2001')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #5'        ,'26Dec2001 13:51:01')
        ,('Forgot The Spaces #6'        ,'26Dec2001 13:51:01PM')
        ,('Oddly, this doesn''t work'   ,'2001-12')
        ,('Oddly, this doesn''t work'   ,'12-2001')
        ) v (Description,StringDT)
;

I can't post a big enough graphic to get all the results in so just run the code to see what I'm talking about.

Upvotes: 1

Gottfried Lesigang
Gottfried Lesigang

Reputation: 67291

CONVERT needs the appropriate parameter to know how to parse a date string.

Look at this link to find details.

Your case needs 101:

select CONVERT(datetime, '12/16/2001 11:00:00 PM', 101)

If this is under your control, you should avoid any culture related date literal. Best for DateTime - if you have to type in a date with time - is ODBC

SELECT {ts'2001-12-16 23:00:00'};

Or ISO 8601

SELECT CONVERT(DATETIME,'2001-12-16T23:00:00',126);

Here's a related answer

And here's another one

Upvotes: 1

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