Dateadd SQL

How do you add or subtract specific time intervals to a date or datetime value in SQL?

The DATEADD function in SQL allows you to add or subtract time intervals (like days, months, years, hours, minutes, seconds) to a date or datetime value. It's a fundamental function for manipulating dates and times in databases.

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Description

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Example H3

The DATEADD function is a crucial tool for working with dates and times in SQL. It enables you to modify existing date and time values by adding or subtracting specific time intervals. This is essential for tasks like calculating due dates, determining the date of a past event, or tracking time-based data. For instance, you might want to find the date three months from now or the date one year ago. DATEADD provides a flexible way to perform these calculations. It's important to specify the interval (e.g., day, month, year) and the value to add or subtract. The function is widely supported across various SQL database systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle.

Why Dateadd SQL is important

DATEADD is essential for data manipulation in SQL, enabling tasks like generating reports based on time-based criteria, calculating durations, and managing time-sensitive data. It's a fundamental function for any SQL developer working with temporal data.

Dateadd SQL Example Usage


-- Creating a sample table
CREATE TABLE Customers (
    CustomerID INT PRIMARY KEY,
    FirstName VARCHAR(50),
    LastName VARCHAR(50),
    City VARCHAR(50)
);

-- Inserting some data
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerID, FirstName, LastName, City)
VALUES
    (1, 'John', 'Doe', 'New York'),
    (2, 'Jane', 'Smith', 'Los Angeles'),
    (3, 'Peter', 'Jones', 'Chicago');

-- Selecting data using DB2 SQL
SELECT CustomerID, FirstName, LastName
FROM Customers
WHERE City = 'New York';

Dateadd SQL Syntax

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to specify the correct interval (e.g., using 'days' instead of 'day').
Using incorrect data types for the date or interval value.
Misunderstanding the order of operations when combining DATEADD with other functions or operators.
Incorrectly using negative values for subtracting intervals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What practical scenarios call for the DATEADD function in everyday SQL work?

DATEADD shines whenever you need to shift a timestamp—calculating subscription renewals three months out, finding the date one year ago for cohort analysis, or adding hours to log records for time-zone normalization. By letting you add or subtract days, months, years, or even milliseconds, it removes manual arithmetic and keeps your queries readable and portable.

How do I specify the interval in DATEADD, and is the syntax the same in MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle?

All four engines support DATEADD-style logic, but the literal interval keyword differs. In SQL Server you write DATEADD(month, 3, GETDATE()), while PostgreSQL and MySQL use INTERVAL syntax—e.g., CURRENT_DATE + INTERVAL '3 month'. Oracle’s ADD_MONTHS(date, n) covers months, and you combine it with + n for days. Always pair the interval name (day, month, year, etc.) with the numeric value you want to add or subtract.

Can Galaxy help me write and maintain queries that rely on DATEADD?

Yes. Galaxy’s AI copilot is context-aware, so it can autocomplete the correct DATEADD or INTERVAL syntax for your target database, suggest edge-case handling (like leap years), and refactor all affected queries if your data model changes. Instead of pasting trial-and-error snippets into Slack, you can store endorsed DATEADD examples in Galaxy Collections for your whole team to reuse.