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The SYSDATE SQL Function in MySQL and MariaDB - System date and time

SYSDATE	Syntax:	SYSDATE()
	Return value:	DATETIME
	Function type:	Date and Time function

Function Description

The SYSDATE() function returns the current date and time as a string YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss or numerically as BIGINT YYYYMMDDhhmmss or as DECIMAL YYYYMMDDhhmmss.microseconds, depending on whether the function is used in string or numeric context.

The value is expressed in the format of the current session time zone.

The SYSDATE() function returns the exact time the function is executed.

In contrast, the NOW() function returns the time when execution of the statement started.

Inside routines and triggers, NOW() returns the time the routine started executing.

The "Precision" argument can be specified to indicate a sub-second precision from 0 to 6 digits.

The specification of "Precision" must be a written number from 0-6. Expressions or variables produce a syntax error, larger values produce a precision error.

Setting the system variable timestamp does not affect the SYSDATE() function.

SQL Examples for the SYSDATE function


SELECT sysdate(), sysdate() + 1, sysdate() + 0.001;
SELECT sysdate(6), sysdate(6) + 1, sysdate(6) + 0.001;

select now(), sleep(2), now(0);
select sysdate(), sleep(2), sysdate(0);

SELECT sysdate(7);
SELECT sysdate(3 + 2);
SET @a=3;
SELECT sysdate(@a);

sysdate()

sysdate() + 1

sysdate() + 0.001

datetime(19)

bigint(16)

decimal(20)

2023-03-27 14:36:44

20230327143645

20230327143644.001

sysdate(6)

sysdate(6) + 1

sysdate(6) + 0.001

datetime(26)

decimal(23)

2023-03-27 14:36:44.008393

20230327143645.008394

20230327143644.009395

now()

sleep(2)

now(0)

datetime(19)

int(1)

datetime(19)

2023-03-27 14:36:44

sysdate()

sleep(2)

sysdate(0)

datetime(19)

int(1)

datetime(19)

2023-03-27 14:36:46

2023-03-27 14:36:48

select sysdate(7)

errno: 1426 sqlstate: 42000 error: Too big precision 7 specified for 'sysdate'. Maximum is 6

select sysdate(3 + 2)

errno: 1064 sqlstate: 42000 error: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near '+ 2)' at line 1

select sysdate(@a)

errno: 1064 sqlstate: 42000 error: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near '@a)' at line 1

Examples of how setting the system variable timestamp affects


select now(), SYSDATE();
set session timestamp = UNIX_TIMESTAMP()+1000;
select now(), current_timestamp(), localtime(), sysdate();

now()

SYSDATE()

datetime(19)

2023-03-27 14:11:19

now()

current_timestamp()

localtime()

sysdate()

datetime(19)

2023-03-27 14:27:59

2023-03-27 14:11:19

The examples were created with the MyWAY SQL manager: Download

How to use the SYSDATE() function in MySQL and MariaDB databases

The SYSDATE() function in MySQL and MariaDB returns the current system date and time in the format "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" from the database server. The function is executed at query execution time, not at the beginning of the transaction. If there are multiple statements in a transaction using the SYSDATE() statement, each call may produce different results depending on the time it takes to execute the statements. SYSDATE() returns the date and time based on the database server's system clock.

Further MySQL und MariaDB SQL Date and Time functions

ADDDATE	ADDDATE(Date, [INTERVAL] Number [Unit])
	More about ADDDATE Function

ADDTIME	ADDTIME(Date, Expression)
	More about ADDTIME Function

CONVERT_TZ	CONVERT_TZ(Date, From time zone, To time zone)
	More about CONVERT_TZ Function

CURDATE	CURDATE()
	More about CURDATE Function

CURTIME	CURTIME([Precision])
	More about CURTIME Function

CURRENT_DATE	CURRENT_DATE(-)
	More about CURRENT_DATE Function

CURRENT_TIME	CURRENT_TIME([Precision])
	More about CURRENT_TIME Function

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP	CURRENT_TIMESTAMP([Precision])
	More about CURRENT_TIMESTAMP Function

DATE	DATE(Date and Time)
	More about DATE Function

DATE_ADD	DATE_ADD(Date, INTERVAL Number Unit)
	More about DATE_ADD Function

DATE_SUB	DATE_SUB(Date, INTERVAL Number Unit)
	More about DATE_SUB Function

FROM_DAYS	FROM_DAYS(Number of days)
	More about FROM_DAYS Function

FROM_UNIXTIME	FROM_UNIXTIME(Unix timestamp [, Format])
	More about FROM_UNIXTIME Function

LOCALTIME	LOCALTIME([Precision])
	More about LOCALTIME Function

LOCALTIMESTAMP	LOCALTIMESTAMP([Precision])
	More about LOCALTIMESTAMP Function

MAKEDATE	MAKEDATE(Year, Day of year)
	More about MAKEDATE Function

MAKETIME	MAKETIME(Hours, Minutes, Seconds)
	More about MAKETIME Function

NOW	NOW([Precision])
	More about NOW Function

SEC_TO_TIME	SEC_TO_TIME(Seconds)
	More about SEC_TO_TIME Function

SLEEP	SLEEP(Seconds)
	More about SLEEP Function

STR_TO_DATE	STR_TO_DATE(String, Format)
	More about STR_TO_DATE Function

SUBDATE	SUBDATE(Date, [INTERVAL] Number [Unit])
	More about SUBDATE Function

SUBTIME	SUBTIME(Date and Time, Deduction)
	More about SUBTIME Function

TIME	TIME(Date and Time)
	More about TIME Function

TIMEDIFF	TIMEDIFF(Date 1, Date 2)
	More about TIMEDIFF Function

TIMESTAMP	TIMESTAMP(Date [, Addition])
	More about TIMESTAMP Function

TIMESTAMPADD	TIMESTAMPADD(Unit, Number, Date)
	More about TIMESTAMPADD Function

TIMESTAMPDIFF	TIMESTAMPDIFF(Unit, Date 1, Date 2)
	More about TIMESTAMPDIFF Function

UTC_DATE	UTC_DATE()
	More about UTC_DATE Function

UTC_TIME	UTC_TIME([Precision])
	More about UTC_TIME Function

UTC_TIMESTAMP	UTC_TIMESTAMP([Precision])
	More about UTC_TIMESTAMP Function

DAY	DAY(Date)
	More about DAY Function

DAYOFMONTH	DAYOFMONTH(Date)
	More about DAYOFMONTH Function

DAYOFWEEK	DAYOFWEEK(Date)
	More about DAYOFWEEK Function

DAYOFYEAR	DAYOFYEAR(Date)
	More about DAYOFYEAR Function

EXTRACT	EXTRACT(Unit FROM Date)
	More about EXTRACT Function

HOUR	HOUR(Date and Time)
	More about HOUR Function

MICROSECOND	MICROSECOND(Date and Time)
	More about MICROSECOND Function

MINUTE	MINUTE(Date and Time)
	More about MINUTE Function

MONTH	MONTH(Date)
	More about MONTH Function

QUARTER	QUARTER(Date)
	More about QUARTER Function

SECOND	SECOND(Date and Time)
	More about SECOND Function

TIME_TO_SEC	TIME_TO_SEC(Time)
	More about TIME_TO_SEC Function

TO_DAYS	TO_DAYS(Date)
	More about TO_DAYS Function

TO_SECONDS	TO_SECONDS(Date and Time)
	More about TO_SECONDS Function

UNIX_TIMESTAMP	UNIX_TIMESTAMP([Date and Time])
	More about UNIX_TIMESTAMP Function

WEEK	WEEK(Date [, Mode])
	More about WEEK Function

WEEKDAY	WEEKDAY(Date)
	More about WEEKDAY Function

WEEKOFYEAR	WEEKOFYEAR(Date)
	More about WEEKOFYEAR Function

YEAR	YEAR(Date)
	More about YEAR Function

YEARWEEK	YEARWEEK(Date [, Mode])
	More about YEARWEEK Function

DAYNAME	DAYNAME(Date)
	More about DAYNAME Function

DATE_FORMAT	DATE_FORMAT(Date and Time, Format)
	More about DATE_FORMAT Function

GET_FORMAT	GET_FORMAT(Type, Format)
	More about GET_FORMAT Function

MONTHNAME	MONTHNAME(Date)
	More about MONTHNAME Function

TIME_FORMAT	TIME_FORMAT(Time, Format)
	More about TIME_FORMAT Function

Numeric functions	String functions	Regular Expressions	Date and Time functions
Comparison functions	Encryption & Compression	Conversion functions	NULL functions
Aggregate functions	Window functions	JSON functions	Geometric functions
Sequence functions	Information functions	Dynamic Columns	Miscellaneous functions

More information about the SYSDATE SQL function: mysql.com and mariadb.com and w3schools.com

Updated: 2023-09-17

2020-2024 Heino Cunze-Fischer