RE: [SQL] Problems with default date and time

The problem is that I'm doing some reporting from crystal reports using the
ODBC driver, and I need to offer a range to limit the dates that are
printed. Will this work with a datetime column?

ex.

Select * from table1 where datetimecolumn between 01/01/1999 and 01/15/1999

Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Lane [mailto:tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us]
Sent: Friday, August 13, 1999 11:02 AM
To: Patrik Kudo
Cc: Hutton, Rob; 'pgsql-sql(at)postgresql(dot)org'
Subject: Re: [SQL] Problems with default date and time

Patrik Kudo <kudo(at)partitur(dot)se> writes:
>> "Hutton, Rob" wrote:
>>
>> I have created a table with date and time fields by using what I
>> read as being the correct default statements, but I get the date and
>> time the DB was created at each insert instead of the current date and
>> time.
>> | ord_time | time default text 'now'
>> | 8 |
>> | ord_date | date default text 'now'
>> | 4 |
>> | ord_timestamp | timestamp default text 'now'
>> | 4 |

> You should not use 'now'. It will be replaced with the current time.
> Instead use now() and remove "text".

The "default text 'now'" hack doesn't work with TIMESTAMP columns, only
with DATETIME columns --- this was reported last month. I forget the
details but I think it is triggered by the presence of slightly
different sets of datatype conversion routines for the two types in the
system tables, leading to a different path being taken that evaluates
the default clause's value when it should not. Probably a default of
"now()" would fail for the same reason. Fixing this is on the TODO
list, but I do not think it is a trivial fix.

In the meantime, I suggest using a DATETIME column --- or two of them,
if you need the ability to record two different dates/times.

regards, tom lane