Dateadd Function in SQL Server – an Ultimate Guide for Dev

Welcome, Devs! Today we are going to discuss the Dateadd function in SQL Server, its usage, syntax, examples, and more. As a developer, you might already be aware of the importance of date and time functions in SQL Server. The Dateadd function in SQL Server is one of the most useful functions when it comes to working with dates and times in SQL. Let’s dive in and explore everything you need to know about Dateadd function in SQL Server.

What is the Dateadd Function in SQL Server?

The DATEADD function in SQL Server is used to add or subtract a specific interval of time (days, months, years, minutes, hours, seconds, etc.) from a given date value. It returns a new date value by adding or subtracting the specified interval.

The syntax of DATEADD is as follows:

DATEADD(datepart, number, date)

The Parameters

• Datepart: It’s the part of the date to which the number needs to be added. It can be year, quarter, month, day, hour, minute, second, millisecond, microsecond or nanosecond.
• Number: The number of units to add/subtract from the date.
• Date: The date to which the number needs to be added.

Usage of Dateadd Function in SQL Server

The DATEADD function is used to perform various operations on dates in SQL Server. Some of the common use cases of DATEADD are:

Get the Date After a Specific Number of Days from a Given Date

The following example shows how to use the DATEADD function to get the date after 30 days from a given date:

Date	Date After 30 Days
2022-10-01	2022-10-31

The syntax for this operation is as follows:

SELECT DATEADD(day, 30, ‘2022-10-01’)

The output of this query will be ‘2022-10-31’.

Get the Date Before a Specific Number of Months from a Given Date

The following example shows how to use the DATEADD function to get the date before 3 months from a given date:

Date	Date Before 3 Months
2022-10-01	2022-07-01

The syntax for this operation is as follows:

SELECT DATEADD(month, -3, ‘2022-10-01’)

The output of this query will be ‘2022-07-01’.

Commonly Used Dateparts with Dateadd Function in SQL Server

The Dateadd function supports various date parts. Here are some of the commonly used dateparts with the Dateadd function in SQL Server:

• Year: It adds/subtracts the specified number of years from the date.
• Quarter: It adds/subtracts the specified number of quarters from the date.
• Month: It adds/subtracts the specified number of months from the date.
• Week: It adds/subtracts the specified number of weeks from the date.
• Day: It adds/subtracts the specified number of days from the date.
• Hour: It adds/subtracts the specified number of hours from the date.
• Minute: It adds/subtracts the specified number of minutes from the date.
• Second: It adds/subtracts the specified number of seconds from the date.
• Millisecond: It adds/subtracts the specified number of milliseconds from the date.
• Microsecond: It adds/subtracts the specified number of microseconds from the date.
• Nanosecond: It adds/subtracts the specified number of nanoseconds from the date.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Is the Dateadd function in SQL Server case sensitive?

No, the Dateadd function in SQL Server is not case sensitive.

Q2. How does the Dateadd function handle leap years?

The Dateadd function in SQL Server automatically handles leap years. If you add one year to 29th February, it will return 1st March of the next year.

Q3. Can the Dateadd function be used with datetime2 data type?

Yes, the Dateadd function can be used with datetime2 data type.

Q4. Can the Dateadd function be used to subtract two dates?

No, the Dateadd function can only be used to add or subtract a specific interval of time from a given date.

Q5. Can we use the result of the Dateadd function in a WHERE clause?

Yes, we can use the result of the Dateadd function in a WHERE clause. For example:

SELECT * FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

This query will return all the orders that were placed in the last 30 days.

Conclusion

The Dateadd function in SQL Server is a powerful function that is used to add or subtract a specific interval of time from a given date. It supports various dateparts and can be used in various scenarios. In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about the Dateadd function. We hope that this guide will help you to use the Dateadd function effectively in your SQL queries.