Difference Between SYSDATE() and NOW() in MariaDB

In MariaDB, the SYSDATE() and NOW() functions are similar in that they return the current date and time.

However, there is an important difference: SYSDATE() returns the time that it executes, whereas NOW() returns the time that the statement started executing.

And when run within a stored procedure or trigger, SYSDATE() will return the time that it executes, whereas NOW() will return the time that the stored procedure or trigger started executing.

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4 Ways to Separate Hours, Minutes, and Seconds from a Time Value in MariaDB

MariaDB has several functions that enable you to extract various date and time parts from date/time values. You can use these to separate each date/time component into its own column if required.

Below are four ways to extract the hours, minutes, and seconds from a time value in MariaDB. As a bonus, we’ll also include microseconds.

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MariaDB Composite Date & Time Units Explained

MariaDB includes a bunch of date and time units that you can use when working with date and time values. For example, MONTH is a unit, and HOUR is another unit.

Some units are composite units. Composite units are when two units get combined into one. The naming convention is that each unit name is separated by an underscore. For example, MINUTE_SECOND is for minutes and seconds.

Below are some examples that demonstrate how composite units work in MariaDB.

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MariaDB ROUND() vs TRUNCATE()

MariaDB has a ROUND() function and a TRUNCATE() function that can return the same results or different results, depending on the exact value of their arguments.

As the function names suggest, ROUND() rounds the number and TRUNCATE() truncates the number. Truncating a number simply cuts it off without performing any rounding.

Below is a quick rundown on the difference between ROUND() and TRUNCATE() in MariaDB.

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