DB2 Version 9.7 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

DATE scalar function


>>-DATE--(--expression--)--------------------------------------><

The schema is SYSIBM.

The DATE function returns a date from a value.

The argument must be a DATE, TIMESTAMP, a positive number less than or equal to 3 652 059, a valid string representation of a date or timestamp, or a string of length 7 that is not a CLOB or DBCLOB.

Only Unicode databases support an argument that is a graphic string representation of a date or a timestamp. In a Unicode database, if a supplied argument is a graphic string, it is first converted to a character string before the function is executed.

If the argument is a string of length 7, it must represent a valid date in the form yyyynnn, where yyyy are digits denoting a year, and nnn are digits between 001 and 366, denoting a day of that year.

The result of the function is a DATE. If the argument can be null, the result can be null; if the argument is null, the result is the null value.

The other rules depend on the data type of the argument:

If the argument is a DATE, TIMESTAMP, or valid string representation of a date or timestamp:
- The result is the date part of the value.
If the argument is a number:
- The result is the date that is n-1 days after January 1, 0001, where n is the integral part of the number.
If the argument is a string with a length of 7:
- The result is the date represented by the string.

Examples

Assume that the column RECEIVED (whose data type is TIMESTAMP) has an internal value equivalent to '1988-12-25-17.12.30.000000'.

This example results in an internal representation of '1988-12-25'.
```
   DATE(RECEIVED)
```
This example results in an internal representation of '1988-12-25'.
```
   DATE('1988-12-25')
```
This example results in an internal representation of '1988-12-25'.
```
   DATE('25.12.1988')
```
This example results in an internal representation of '0001-02-04'.
```
   DATE(35)
```