# SYSDATE

## Syntax

```sql
SYSDATE([precision])
```

## Description

Returns the current date and time as a value in `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` or `YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.uuuuuu` format, depending on whether the function is used in a string or numeric context.

The optional *precision* determines the microsecond precision. See [Microseconds in MariaDB](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/microseconds-in-mariadb).

`SYSDATE()` returns the time at which it executes. This differs from the behavior for [NOW()](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/now), which returns a constant time that indicates the time at which the statement began to execute. (Within a stored routine or trigger, NOW() returns the time at which the routine or triggering statement began to execute.)

In addition, changing the [timestamp system variable](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/variables-and-modes/server-system-variables#timestamp) with a [SET](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/administrative-sql-statements/set-commands/set) `timestamp` statement affects the value returned by `NOW()` but not by `SYSDATE()`. This means that timestamp settings in the [binary log](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/server-monitoring-logs/binary-log) have no effect on invocations of `SYSDATE()`.

Because `SYSDATE()` can return different values even within the same statement, and is not affected by `SET TIMESTAMP`, it is non-deterministic and therefore unsafe for replication if statement-based binary logging is used. If that is a problem, you can use row-based logging, or start the server with the [--sysdate-is-now](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/starting-and-stopping-mariadb/mariadbd-options#-sysdate-is-now) mariadbd option to cause `SYSDATE()` to be an alias for `NOW()`. The non-deterministic nature of `SYSDATE()` also means that indexes cannot be used for evaluating expressions that refer to it, and that statements using the `SYSDATE()` function are [unsafe for statement-based replication](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/ha-and-performance/standard-replication/unsafe-statements-for-statement-based-replication).

## Examples

Difference between `NOW()` and `SYSDATE()`:

```sql
SELECT NOW(), SLEEP(2), NOW();
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
| NOW()               | SLEEP(2) | NOW()               |
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
| 2010-03-27 13:23:40 |        0 | 2010-03-27 13:23:40 |
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+

SELECT SYSDATE(), SLEEP(2), SYSDATE();
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
| SYSDATE()           | SLEEP(2) | SYSDATE()           |
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
| 2010-03-27 13:23:52 |        0 | 2010-03-27 13:23:54 |
+---------------------+----------+---------------------+
```

With precision:

```sql
SELECT SYSDATE(4);
+--------------------------+
| SYSDATE(4)               |
+--------------------------+
| 2018-07-10 10:17:13.1689 |
+--------------------------+
```

## See Also

* [Microseconds in MariaDB](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-functions/date-time-functions/microseconds-in-mariadb)
* [timestamp server system variable](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/server-management/variables-and-modes/server-system-variables#timestamp)

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

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