Retrieving Today's Date in MySQL: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview

This guide explains how to retrieve the current date in MySQL using various built-in functions. Understanding how to work with dates is crucial for effective database management and data analysis.

Key Concepts

• Current Date: In MySQL, you can easily obtain the current date using built-in functions.
• Built-in Functions: MySQL provides several functions to work with dates, including CURDATE(), CURRENT_DATE, and NOW().

Functions to Get Today's Date

1. CURDATE()
   • Returns the current date in 'YYYY-MM-DD' format.
   • Example:
   • Output: '2023-10-01' (example output)
2. CURRENT_DATE
   • Synonymous with CURDATE(), it also returns the current date.
   • Example:
   • Output: '2023-10-01' (example output)
3. NOW()
   • Returns the current date and time in 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS' format.
   • Example:
   • Output: '2023-10-01 10:45:00' (example output)

SELECT NOW();

SELECT CURRENT_DATE;

SELECT CURDATE();

Usage Tips

• Use CURDATE() or CURRENT_DATE when you only need the date.
• Use NOW() when you need both the date and time for more detailed records.
• These functions are especially useful for filtering records based on today's date in queries.

Conclusion

Understanding how to retrieve today's date in MySQL is essential for managing and querying databases effectively. By using functions like CURDATE(), CURRENT_DATE, and NOW(), you can easily handle date-related tasks in your SQL queries.