Dates when inserting a record

Is it possible to have sql server automatically record date and time (in a designated field)when a record is created in the db? This may seam basic but it has caused me a lot of grief.You can use database trigger for automatic firing.|||yes it can
just use when creating the table for that field a default

something like this:

create table xxx (
id int not null,
dateadded datetime not null default(getdate())
)|||so if I used get date () in the field and queried the table. Will it show me the date and time as of that momnet or will it have embedded the date and time the record was added...|||getdate() is a function that returns the current date when the record is actually added. it's not a column name. so if u want to query the date when the record was added, u need to query that column.|||getdate() is not working. It works in the sense that it displays system date and time. The problem is that it updates every column whenever I view the table or query it...

I need an option which will ensure that each record added inserts into the designated Table/Field the actual system time at which the record was inserted.|||Foefie's solution should work for you. Specifying the Default value of a column to be GETDATE() will insert the SQL Server's current system date/time into the column when the record is inserted into the database. It willl not fluctuate or vary with queries -- it is concretely written into the record. We use this approach all of the time without incident.

Terri|||If you use GETDATE() as default value in the column, you can control what happens.

What I mean by that is, if you want the date to reflect the datetime of last change, then you can include the field in any update, but specify DEFAULT as the value to be inserted. This will then cause the date to be update.

Alternatively (if you don't want it to change on every update, and always reflect the original datetime when the record was created), you should omit the field from any update statements and it will remain as originally inserted (you don't need to specify the field on any insert statements either, since on the first insert any fields for which you don't explicitly specify a value should get the default)

HTH

Anton|||Thank you. This explains it much better. The confusion has been due to the fact that while using Enterprise Manager, rightclicking on the table in question and selecting return all rows, I have noticed that it always updates the date and time. I just assumed that the same would apply anytime I queried the data in the table.

Thanks!