Converting Questionable Dates

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Converting Questionable Dates

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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March 17, 2016 at 9:39 pm

#77474

Comments posted to this topic are about the item Converting Questionable Dates
March 18, 2016 at 12:44 am

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philip.cullingworth SSCrazy Points: 2150 More actions · Answer 1

I may have misunderstood, but the Explanation states

If the input value cannot be converted to the resulting type, then an error is returned.

Looking at the MSDN article, it says

Returns a value cast to the specified data type if the cast succeeds; otherwise, returns null.

There is however one way in which an error can occur mentioned in the Remarks section of the MSDN article

However if you request a conversion that is explicitly not permitted, then TRY_CONVERT fails with an error.

Therefore, as far as I can tell, unless you were trying to convert an image, I don't think that the batch could return an error.

Philip

far SSCertifiable Points: 6496 More actions · Answer 2

Returns a value cast to the specified data type, if the cast succeeds. Otherwise, NULL ist returned.

The Statement doesn't return Errors

🙂

edwardwill SSCertifiable Points: 5789 More actions · Answer 3

I get an error:

Msg 195, Level 15, State 10, Line 1

'VARCHAR' is not a recognized built-in function name.

far SSCertifiable Points: 6496 More actions · Answer 4

How do you use the statment? With a correct Syntax there is no error

Ed Wagner SSC Guru Points: 287024 More actions · Answer 5

Nice and simple, once you see the data type. That was probably the point. Thanks, Steve.

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edwardwill SSCertifiable Points: 5789 More actions · Answer 6

far (3/18/2016)
How do you use the statment? With a correct Syntax there is no error

I pasted the example into a query window and pressed F5

SELECT

TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')

Andrew Watson-478275 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4652 More actions · Answer 7

edwardwill (3/18/2016)
far (3/18/2016)
How do you use the statment? With a correct Syntax there is no error
I pasted the example into a query window and pressed F5
SELECT
TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')

What version are you on? TRY_CONVERT was introduced in 2012. 2008 R2 (and presumably earlier) gives the error you state.

edwardwill SSCertifiable Points: 5789 More actions · Answer 8

Andrew Watson-478275 (3/18/2016)
edwardwill (3/18/2016)
far (3/18/2016)
How do you use the statment? With a correct Syntax there is no error
I pasted the example into a query window and pressed F5
SELECT
TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')
What version are you on? TRY_CONVERT was introduced in 2012. 2008 R2 (and presumably earlier) gives the error you state.

Good spot. Was "accidentally" connected to ancient box.

David Day SSC Enthusiast Points: 128 More actions · Answer 9

Except, when I cut-and-paste from the question:

SELECT

TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')

I get an error:

Msg 195, Level 15, State 10, Line 3

'VARCHAR' is not a recognized built-in function name.

edwardwill SSCertifiable Points: 5789 More actions · Answer 10

David Day (3/18/2016)
Except, when I cut-and-paste from the question:
SELECT
TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')
I get an error:
Msg 195, Level 15, State 10, Line 3
'VARCHAR' is not a recognized built-in function name.

I had the same issue, until I noticed I was connected to a pre-2012 server.

David Day SSC Enthusiast Points: 128 More actions · Answer 11

Then (with all due respect) the questions either need to indicate the version, or have version-specific options. Given the mess the latter would become, the former would be much more to the point (and much more in keeping with good test-writing practices... 😉 )

edwardwill SSCertifiable Points: 5789 More actions · Answer 12

David Day (3/18/2016)
Then (with all due respect) the questions either need to indicate the version, or have version-specific options. Given the mess the latter would become, the former would be much more to the point (and much more in keeping with good test-writing practices... 😉 )

I wonder if you're relatively new round here? Lots of QotD are skunked - syntactically incorrect, semantically inexact or just plain wrong. I believe the setters think it's part of the test to work out what they meant, rather than what they wrote. Which, in my book (20 years a developer) would make them unemployable 😀

g.maxfield Default port Points: 1471 More actions · Answer 13

I also get error

Msg 195, Level 15, State 10, Line 2

'VARCHAR' is not a recognized built-in function name.