INF: Use User-Defined Data Type to Extract Current Time

 Last reviewed: April 25, 1997
Article ID: Q67410

The information in this article applies to: 

  - Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2 for OS/2

SUMMARY

You can create a user-defined data type that extracts the current time. The advantage of using user-defined data types is that you can bind rules and defaults to them for use in several different tables.

MORE INFORMATION

The following is an example of creating a data type with the functionality of extracting the current time by first creating a default, and then binding it to the user data type: 

/* First, create the user type "time". Please note that it is defined
   as not null. */
sp_addtype time, "char(8)", "not null" go 

/* Next, create the default "timedft". This default uses the string
   function "right" to convert it to type char. */
create default timedft as right (getdate(),8) go 

/* Now, bind the result to the user data type. */
sp_binddefault timedft, time 

/* Create the table with this user data type. */
create table test (curtime time, 
 test int)

/* Since the data type was created as not null, any time a value is not
   supplied for the curtime column, the current time will be input into
   the column. */
insert test (test) values (1)

go

select * from test go

Curtime test ------- -------------- 

4:24 PM    1

Additional query words: Transact-SQL
Keywords : kbusage SSrvServer
Version : 4.2
Platform : OS/2

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Last reviewed: April 25, 1997
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