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