Convert date in text format to datetime format in T-SQL

Question

I have a client supplied file that is loaded in to our SQL Server database. This file contains text based date values i.e. (05102010) and I need to read them from a db column and convert them to a normal date time value = '2010-05-10 00:00:00.000' as part of a clean-up process.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Try:

SELECT 
    CONVERT(datetime,  RIGHT(YourColumn,4)
                       +LEFT(YourColumn,4)
           ) AS ProperDateTime
    FROM...

working example:

DECLARE @YourTable table (StringDate char(8))
INSERT @YourTable VALUES ('05102010')
INSERT @YourTable VALUES ('03182010')

SELECT 
    CONVERT(datetime,  RIGHT(StringDate,4)
                       +LEFT(StringDate,4)
           ) AS ProperDateTime
    FROM @YourTable

OUTPUT:

ProperDateTime
-----------------------
2010-05-10 00:00:00.000
2010-03-18 00:00:00.000

(2 row(s) affected)

Answer 2

one way by using

CONVERT(datetime,RIGHT(Column,4) + left(Column,4))

example

declare @s char(8)
select  @s = '05102010'
select CONVERT(datetime,RIGHT(@s,4) + left(@s,4))

Answer 3

Quick and dirty:

SELECT
    CONVERT(DATETIME,
        SUBSTRING(col, 1, 2)
        + '/' + SUBSTRING(col, 3, 2)
        + '/' + SUBSTRING(col, 5, 4))