SQL - Converting String to Date and Time

Question

I need to convert a value to a SQL Server DateTime .

Data looks like below :

• 20161021-12:55:16.000
• 20161021-13:22:09.974

I tried

CONVERT(DATE, '20161021-12:55:16.000', 102) 

and it throws an error.

Can I get help in SQL to convert these samples into a valid date time?

Also these values are in UTC.

I need to convert them to EST.

Appreciate your help.

Answer 1

If you're confident with your format being consistent then you can just take that dash out (I've used datetime for illustration purposes);

CONVERT(DATETIME, REPLACE('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' '), 102) 

Result

2016-10-21 12:55:16.000

For the conversion you can convert to datetime, take off your hours and then convert to the date format you want;

CONVERT(DATETIME, DATEADD(hh,-5,CONVERT(DATETIME,REPLACE('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' '))), 102)

Result;

2016-10-21 07:55:16.000

To get a better idea of this, set it before 5am and you will get the previous day;

CONVERT(DATETIME, DATEADD(hh,-5,CONVERT(DATETIME,REPLACE('20161021-04:55:16.000','-',' '))), 102)

Result

2016-10-20 23:55:16.000

For reference, on my test systems you don't need to convert to 102, that's the default.

DATEADD(hh,-5,CONVERT(DATETIME,REPLACE('20161021-04:55:16.000','-',' ')))

To get the time difference dynamically do something like this;

DATEADD(hh,DATEDIFF(hh,GETUTCDATE(),GETDATE()),CONVERT(DATETIME,REPLACE('20161021-04:55:16.000','-',' ')))

Answer 2

No need for the CONVERT 102.

Select cast(replace('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' ') as datetime)

Returns

2016-10-21 12:55:16.000

To Convert From UTC to Local Server. One should keep in mind that the time difference will change with Daylight Savings Time (EDT/EST)

Select DateAdd(MINUTE,DateDiff(MINUTE,GetUTCDate(),GetDate()),cast(replace('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' ') as datetime))

Reuturns

2016-10-21 07:55:16.000

Answer 3

Try this...

select CONVERT(DATETIME, replace('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' '), 102) 

For EST

select dateadd(HH,-5,CONVERT(DATETIME, replace('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' '), 102))

Answer 4

 SELECT CONVERT(datetime,SWITCHOFFSET(CONVERT(datetimeoffset, 
                                REPLACE('20161021-12:55:16.000','-',' ')), 
                        DATENAME(TzOffset, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()))) 
   AS ColumnInLocalTime