Converting Date to Char

Question

Using MaxDB Version Version: 7.7.04.28
I am seeing difficulties with the CHAR(a,t) function. I have an SQL statement where I would like to convert the current date to a string and pick only the year information.
If I understand the documentation correctly, this should work: CHAR(NOW(),'YYYY')
However, I find that the second parameter is not a year but a locale.
This works: CHAR(NOW(),USA) and gives 2009-10-09
So to get the year information I am doing this: SUBSTR(CHAR(NOW(), USA),1,4)
But this looks like  a hack. The clean way would be to use CHAR(NOW(),'YYYY'). How come this does not work?
Many thanks for any help.

Answer 1

> I am seeing difficulties with the CHAR(a,t) function. I have an SQL statement where I would like to convert the current date to a string and pick only the year information.
>
> If I understand the documentation correctly, this should work: CHAR(NOW(),'YYYY')
You don't understand this command correctly, sorry.
> However, I find that the second parameter is not a year but a locale.
> This works: CHAR(NOW(),USA) and gives 2009-10-09
Yes, sure it works.
The documentation says that exactly this would happen when you use the command as you did.
Problem in sight?
> So to get the year information I am doing this: SUBSTR(CHAR(NOW(), USA),1,4)
> But this looks like  a hack. The clean way would be to use CHAR(NOW(),'YYYY'). How come this does not work?
What you do there is a hack, but it's not about the data extraction model.
There is a specific function for what you want to to: YEAR().
Have a look at
[Extraction (extraction_function)|http://maxdb.sap.com/doc/7_7/45/583ea6484365d1e10000000a1553f6/content.htm]
and the bunch of SQL Tutorials on this topic you also find in the documentation.
Just as a general hint: don't try to do Oracle with any database that is not Oracle.
Examples:
sqlcli db77=> select year(now()) from dual
| EXPRESSION1        |
| ------------------ |
|               2009 |
1 row selected (168.846 msec)
sqlcli db77=> select month(now()) from dual
| EXPRESSION1        |
| ------------------ |
|                 10 |
1 row selected (1406 usec)
sqlcli db77=> select day(now()) from dual
| EXPRESSION1        |
| ------------------ |
|                 10 |
1 row selected (1234 usec)
sqlcli db77=> select dayofweek(now()) from dual
| EXPRESSION1        |
| ------------------ |
|                  6 |
1 row selected (1671 usec)
sqlcli db77=> select weekofyear(now()) from dual
| EXPRESSION1        |
| ------------------ |
|                 41 |
1 row selected (885 usec)
sqlcli db77=> select now() from dual
| EXPRESSION1                |
| -------------------------- |
| 2009-10-10 08:39:17.890000 |
1 row selected (28.149 msec)
regards,
Lars
Edited by: Lars Breddemann on Oct 10, 2009 8:40 AM