Mastering Custom Date/Time Formatting in SQL Server

Learn how to format datetime fields in SQL Server to create custom output for stored procedures.
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Mastering Custom Date/Time Formatting in SQL Server

Transforming datetime values into specific formats is a common challenge in SQL Server, especially when you're working with stored procedures and complex queries. If you've ever found yourself needing to format a datetime column into a customized output for reporting or user interfaces, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll delve into how you can address this specific issue and provide step-by-step solutions to format datetime columns as per your needs.

The Challenge

Imagine you have a datetime field in your SQL Server database that looks like this:

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.S

Your goal is to create two additional formatted columns in your result set:

DDMMM - to display the day and month abbreviation (e.g., 12OCT for 2008-10-12 13:19:12.0).

HHMMT - to show the hour and minute alongside an indicator for AM/PM (e.g., 0119P for the same example).

To achieve this, you need to be skilled with SQL string functions and datatype conversions.

The Solution

Let’s break down how to achieve these two formatting tasks in SQL Server using the CONVERT and SUBSTRING functions effectively.

Formatting the First Column: DDMMM

To get the formatting as DDMMM, you can use the following SQL code snippet:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Breakdown of the Code:

CONVERT(varchar, dt, 13): Converts the datetime dt into a string in the DD MON YYYY format (this corresponds to style 13).

SUBSTRING(..., 1, 2): This extracts the day portion (first two characters).

UPPER(SUBSTRING(..., 4, 3)): This extracts the month portion (characters 4 to 6) and converts it to uppercase to match the format OCT.

Formatting the Second Column: HHMMT

For the second formatted requirement HHMMT, where T indicates AM/PM, you would use the following SQL code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Breakdown of the Code:

CONVERT(varchar, dt, 100): Converts the datetime dt into a string in the format Mon DD YYYY HH:MM:SS AM/PM.

SUBSTRING(..., 13, 2): This retrieves the hour part.

SUBSTRING(..., 16, 2): This retrieves the minute part.

CASE WHEN DATEPART(hour, dt) < 12 THEN 'A' ELSE 'P' END: This checks whether the hour is before noon to append either A for AM or P for PM.

Conclusion

Custom formatting of datetime in SQL Server is a powerful tool that can help enhance reporting and user experience significantly. By following the structured approach outlined above, you can efficiently incorporate custom date/time formats in your stored procedures, making data retrieval both meaningful and visually appealing. Whenever you're dealing with datetime data, remember these helpful snippets, and you'll be well on your way to mastering SQL formatting challenges.

For more SQL tips and tricks, stay tuned to our blog! Happy querying!