Is there the equivalent of the sql server getdate() function in UniData? I'd like to be able to query a table like this:
SELECT GETDATE() AS EXPORT_DATE, * FROM TABLE
There are two ways to do this - one that is more "standard", and another more flexible but slightly awkward.
1) Create an I-descriptor that returns the current date like so:
:AE DICT TABLE EXPORT_DATE
001 I
002 DATE()
003 D4/
004
005 10R
006 S
And then
:LIST TABLE EXPORT_DATE
2) Using the Unidata "flavor" of the query language avoids creating a DICT item, but is sort of awkward to type and you need to be in ECLTYPE U (or use the command (list, sort) in lower case to force ECLTYPE U):
:list TABLE EVAL "OCONV(DATE(),'D4/')" COL.HDG "EXPORT_DATE"
Personally, I almost always have a TODAY, COUNTER, CURR.USER etc. DICT item in the main tables used for reporting. You can think of I-Descriptors as little mini-views from a SQL perspective, that only return one column. Here's an interesting set of examples on the possible date formats to return too.