Date and time functions are used with date and time variables to express the current date and time (at the start of the session), to set the date and time, to calculate the difference in units between two dates, to extract a unit from a date and time and to extract a time of day.
Be sure to use the exact syntax for these functions including spacing and parentheses as specified below.
| Function | Example rule | Inputs |
Outputs |
Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CurrentDateTime |
|
the current date time: 2009-09-15 03:24:12 | the date and time of the investigation = 2009-09-15 03:24:12 | Get the current date and time |
| DateTime |
|
the submission date and time specified on the application form: 2012-12-31 18:00:00 | the latest submission date and time= 2012-12-31 18:00:00 | Get a date and time from a text string |
| ConcatenateDateTime |
|
the submission date: 2010-01-15 the submission closing time: 17:00:00 |
the latest submission time = 2010-01-15 17:00:00 | Get a date and time by joining together a separate date and time |
| SecondDifference |
|
the first place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:05 the second place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:10 |
the number of seconds between first place and second place = 5 | Count the number of seconds between two times |
| SecondDifferenceInclusive |
|
the first place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:05 the second place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:10 |
the number of seconds between first place and second place = 6 | |
| SecondDifferenceExclusive |
|
the first place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:05 the second place time: 2008-06-30 09:31:10 |
the number of seconds between first place and second place = 4 | |
| MinuteDifference |
|
the time the plumber was meant to arrive: 2009-10-18 08:30:00 the time that the plumber actually arrived: 2009-10-18 09:00:40 |
the number of minutes late the plumber is = 30 | Count the number of whole minutes between two times |
| MinuteDifferenceInclusive |
|
the time the plumber was meant to arrive: 2009-10-18 08:30:00 the time that the plumber actually arrived: 2009-10-18 09:00:40 |
the number of minutes late the plumber is = 31 | |
| MinuteDifferenceExclusive |
|
the time the plumber was meant to arrive: 2009-10-18 08:30:00 the time that the plumber actually arrived: 2009-10-18 09:00:40 |
the number of minutes late the plumber is = 29 | |
| HourDifference |
|
the scheduled arrival time of the flight: 2006-10-13 09:50:00 the arrival time of the delayed flight: 2006-10-13 11:00:00 |
the number of hours the plane was delayed by = 1 | Count the number of whole hours between two times |
| HourDifferenceInclusive |
|
the scheduled arrival time of the flight: 2006-10-13 09:50:00 the arrival time of the delayed flight: 2006-10-13 11:00:00 |
the number of hours the plane was delayed by = 2 | |
| HourDifferenceExclusive |
|
the scheduled arrival time of the flight: 2006-10-13 09:50:00 the arrival time of the delayed flight: 2006-10-13 11:00:00 |
the number of hours the plane was delayed by = 0 | |
| ExtractDate |
|
the password expiry date time: 2009-09-11 00:00:00 | the password expiry date = 2009-09-11 | Get the date from a date and time |
| ExtractTimeOfDay |
|
the current date time: 2009-09-04 10:46:12 | the time of the assessment = 10:46:12 | Get the time of day from a date and time |
| AddHours |
|
the date time that the offer starts: 2010-10-08 12:00:00 | the date time that the offer expires = 2010-10-10 12:00:00 | Get a date and time by adding or subtracting a specified number of hours to another date and time |
| AddMinutes |
|
the date time that the train departed: 2005-01-16 22:50:00 | the date time that the train is due = 2005-01-16 23:15:00 | Get a date and time by adding or subtracting a specified number of minutes to another date and time |
| AddSeconds |
|
the date time at the end of the recording: 2008-01-01 14:27:52 | the date time at the start of the recording = 2008-01-01 14:27:12 | Get a date and time by adding or subtracting a specified number of seconds to another date and time |
TIP: The localized syntax for these functions may be viewed:
See also: