datetime vs varchar

If I insert datatime values in a varchar datatype as opposed to datetime,
what am I losing out on ?
Would I be able to perform the same functions against a varchar datatype as
opposed to datetime such as datepart, datediff,etc. ?
Hi Hassan
Why don't you try it and see? Something like this should give you a start:
declare @.today varchar(30)
select @.today = getdate()
select @.today
select dateadd(mm, 1, @.today)
And then read Tibor's excellent article:
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/info_datetime.asp
HTH
Kalen Delaney, SQL Server MVP
www.InsideSQLServer.com
http://blog.kalendelaney.com
"Hassan" <hassan@.test.com> wrote in message
news:uDdP0$EbIHA.748@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> If I insert datatime values in a varchar datatype as opposed to datetime,
> what am I losing out on ?
> Would I be able to perform the same functions against a varchar datatype
> as opposed to datetime such as datepart, datediff,etc. ?
>
>
|||Kalen,
Does not seem to be any difference with that example.
"Kalen Delaney" <replies@.public_newsgroups.com> wrote in message
news:ODKGXIFbIHA.5980@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi Hassan
> Why don't you try it and see? Something like this should give you a start:
> declare @.today varchar(30)
> select @.today = getdate()
> select @.today
> select dateadd(mm, 1, @.today)
> And then read Tibor's excellent article:
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/info_datetime.asp
> --
> HTH
> Kalen Delaney, SQL Server MVP
> www.InsideSQLServer.com
> http://blog.kalendelaney.com
>
> "Hassan" <hassan@.test.com> wrote in message
> news:uDdP0$EbIHA.748@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
|||Hassan would have found all that out if he read the article I pointed him
to.
;-)
HTH
Kalen Delaney, SQL Server MVP
www.InsideSQLServer.com
http://blog.kalendelaney.com
"Tibor Karaszi" <tibor_please.no.email_karaszi@.hotmail.nomail.com> wrote in
message news:uB0OLMIbIHA.1376@.TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Downsides of using varchar include:
> There's nothing stopping you from inserting invalid date (like Feb 30), or
> time values.
> Performing various datetime calculation might mean bad performance, since
> you might end up with a convert on the column side in your predicate.
> You need to decide on a format. If you want to retrieve the value and
> present it in a different format from what it is stored with you have more
> work to do.
> ...
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://sqlblog.com/blogs/tibor_karaszi
>
> "Hassan" <hassan@.test.com> wrote in message
> news:evp1jaFbIHA.4180@.TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>
|||On Feb 11, 6:46Xam, "Hassan" <has...@.test.com> wrote:
> If I insert datatime values in a varchar datatype as opposed to datetime,
> what am I losing out on ?
> Would I be able to perform the same functions against a varchar datatype as
> opposed to datetime such as datepart, datediff,etc. ?
Nothing but you would end up with too much convertions if you want to
manipulate varchars
(ex order by, usage of datediff, dateadd,etc)
Always use proper DATETIME datatype to store dates and let your front
end application do the formation
sql