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$$DBDATE$$ System Variable

Syntax

$$DBDATE$$

Description

$$DBDATE$$ retrieves the current database date. Use $$DBDATE$$ to designate a default value or range for a text item using the Initial Value or Lowest/Highest Allowed Value properties. The text item must be of the CHAR, DATE, or DATETIME data type.

Usage Notes

The difference between $$DBDATE$$ and $$DBDATETIME$$ is that the time component for $$DBDATE$$ is always fixed to 00:00:00, compared to $$DBDATETIME$$, which includes a meaningful time component, such as 09:17:59.

Use $$DBDATE$$ to default a DATE item to the current date on the server machine, for example, when connecting to a remote database that may be in a different time zone from the client's time zone.

The display of system variables is governed by the format mask, either a default data type format mask or one you specify. For example, if you want the default DD-MON-YY format, you must specify a DATE data type. (Note that the default format mask depends on the value of NLS_LANG.)

Although $$DBDATE$$ displays only the date, its underlying value includes a time component which is saved at commit time. If you specify a DATE data type and provide $$DBDATE$$ as the default, the underlying value will be DD-MON-YYYY HH:MM:SS: for example, 01-DEC-2001 00:00:00 (although only 01-DEC-2001 will be displayed).

$$ DBDATE$$ Restrictions

$$ DBDATE$$ Examples

To have the value of a DATE text item called ORDERDATE default to the current database date, for the ORDERDATE text item, specify $$DBDATE$$ in the Initial Value property.