GETDATE

GETDATE is a built-in function in Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database that returns the current date and time from the server’s clock. It takes no arguments and is commonly used to timestamp rows, record events, or generate time-based values in queries.

The function returns a value of the datetime data type, which has a precision of about 3.33 milliseconds. For higher precision, alternative functions such as SYSDATETIME (which returns datetime2(7)) are available. GETDATE is equivalent to CURRENT_TIMESTAMP in T-SQL, reflecting the same server-local time.

GETDATE is non-deterministic, meaning its result can vary between calls within the same session or query due to the passage of time and I/O operations. This makes it suitable for timestamps but less suitable when reproducible results are required.

Common usage examples include:

- SELECT GETDATE();

- SELECT GETDATE() AS CurrentTime;

- SELECT CAST(GETDATE() AS date) AS TodayDate;

Related functions include GETUTCDATE(), which returns the current date and time in UTC, and CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, the ANSI SQL standard equivalent of GETDATE. CAST or CONVERT can be used to change the returned value to other date/time types or string representations.

Notes emphasize that the reported time depends on the server’s clock and time zone settings. For cross-server consistency, UTC-based values or a centralized time source are often recommended.