CURRENT_TIMESTAMP (Transact-SQL)

Article
05/16/2013

Returns the current database system timestamp as a datetime value without the database time zone offset. This value is derived from the operating system of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running.

Note

SYSDATETIME and SYSUTCDATE have more fractional seconds precision than GETDATE and GETUTCDATE. SYSDATETIMEOFFSET includes the system time zone offset. SYSDATETIME, SYSUTCDATE, and SYSDATETIMEOFFSET can be assigned to a variable of any of the date and time types.

This function is the ANSI SQL equivalent to GETDATE.

For an overview of all Transact-SQL date and time data types and functions, see Date and Time Data Types and Functions.

Topic link icon Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP

Arguments

Takes no arguments.

Return Type

datetime

Remarks

Transact-SQL statements can refer to CURRENT_TIMESTAMP anywhere they can refer to a datetime expression.

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP is a nondeterministic function. Views and expressions that reference this column cannot be indexed.

Examples

The following examples use the six SQL Server system functions that return current date and time to return the date, the time, or both. The values are returned in series so their fractional seconds might differ.

A. Get the Current System Date and Time

SELECT SYSDATETIME()
    ,SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()
    ,SYSUTCDATETIME()
    ,CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
    ,GETDATE()
    ,GETUTCDATE();
/* Returned:
SYSDATETIME()      2007-04-30 13:10:02.0474381
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()2007-04-30 13:10:02.0474381 -07:00
SYSUTCDATETIME()   2007-04-30 20:10:02.0474381
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  2007-04-30 13:10:02.047
GETDATE()          2007-04-30 13:10:02.047
GETUTCDATE()       2007-04-30 20:10:02.047

B. Get the Current System Date

SELECT CONVERT (date, SYSDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (date, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET())
    ,CONVERT (date, SYSUTCDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (date, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)
    ,CONVERT (date, GETDATE())
    ,CONVERT (date, GETUTCDATE());

/* Returned 
SYSDATETIME()      2007-05-03
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()2007-05-03
SYSUTCDATETIME()   2007-05-04
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  2007-05-03
GETDATE()          2007-05-03
GETUTCDATE()       2007-05-04
*/

C. Get the Current System Time

SELECT CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET())
    ,CONVERT (time, SYSUTCDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (time, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)
    ,CONVERT (time, GETDATE())
    ,CONVERT (time, GETUTCDATE());

/* Returned
SYSDATETIME()      13:18:45.3490361
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()13:18:45.3490361
SYSUTCDATETIME()   20:18:45.3490361
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  13:18:45.3470000
GETDATE()          13:18:45.3470000
GETUTCDATE()       20:18:45.3470000
*/