Convert Numeric String to date

[IanWaterman]

I have a string date stored as

ddmmyy

When I use cast with the field = 080912

Cast(EffectiveDate as Date) I get 2008-09-12 00:00:00

I have solved this by breaking down

cast(SUBSTRING(EffectiveDate,5,2)+SUBSTRING(EffectiveDate,3,2)+SUBSTRING(EffectiveDate,1,2) as DATE)EffDate,

This gives me the correct result but looks a bit convoluted is there a more efficient way?

Thank you

Ian

 

[bborissov]

DECLARE @Test varchar(20)
SET @Test = '080912'

SELECT CAST(@Test as date)

Of course you ALWAYS should check if the string is correct date, because this:

DECLARE @Test varchar(20)
SET @Test = '083112'

SELECT CAST(@Test as date)

will raise an error

Borislav Borissov
VFP9 SP2, SQL Server

 

[SkipVought]

Wow! Why would any thinking person store a date with either MONTH or DAY in the first position. WORTHLESS for sorting, not to mention the inability to do date arithmetic with TEXT!

Also it seems suprising that any company in the twentyfirst century would be using TWO CHARACTER DATES. Shouldn't that have been addressed prior to Y2K?

Are they still using a 360 or have they stepped up to a 370? Hollerith cards or green screens? ;-)

Ian, I feel sorry for you having to deal with this.

Amazing!

Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE![/sub]

 

[bborissov]

OOOPS!!!
Sorry,
I just read what you want as a result.



Borislav Borissov
VFP9 SP2, SQL Server

 

[gmmastros]

There's likely to be a dozen ways to do this, but every method will seem convoluted. A string of 6 digits will always be interpreted as ymd. Therefore, complex and convoluted is the only way to go.

-George
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
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